Identification of Willow, Marsh & Coal Tits can be tricky. This guide contains the elements to look out for.
Habitat
The Marsh Tit is often found in mature broadleaf woodlands, whilst the Coal Tit occurs in the highest densities in coniferous forests, and the Willow Tit occurs in the highest densities in scrub environments. However, this is no guarantee, as all of these birds can be found in various environments based on the availability of habitat & food.
Another indication is that the Marsh Tit typically feeds low to the ground, whereas the Willow Tit & Coal Tit feeds at a range of heights.
Coal Tit
Starting with the easiest of the three birds to identify. The Coal Tit (Periparus ater) is the smallest bird in our lineup. In fact, they are the smallest of all the tit species found in the UK.
Adults typically only weigh between 8 and 10 grams, with a wing length of up to 63mm1.
The Coal Tit has a prominent white patch on the back of its head. Neither the Willow or Marsh Tit have this, so this marking is a simple differentiator. Another feature of the Coal Tit which doesn’t appear on either the Willow or Marsh Tits are these two white wing bars. Finally, the Coal Tit has a large black bib. Both the Willow & Marsh Tits have black bibs, but the Coal Tit bib is by far the largest and most prominent of the three birds.
Marsh Tit
Adult body weight ranges between 9.6 and 11.8 grams, with a wing length up to 65 millimeters so they tend to be slightly larger than the Coal Tit1.
The Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) typically has a small, compact black bib when compared to a Willow Tit. Although, this is not a completely reliable indicator as there is some variability between the species.The black nape on the Marsh Tit is another feature to look out for, as it tends to be slightly more prominent than that of the Willow Tit.
According to some ornithological organizations, the white spot on the upper mandible is the most reliable way to distinguish that you are looking at a Marsh Tit as opposed to a Willow Tit.
Willow Tit
The Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) is on average, slightly smaller than the Marsh Tit, but larger than the Coal Tit. Adult body weight ranges between 9 and 11 grams, with a wing length up to 63 millimeters1.
The Willow Tit has a more scruffy bib than the Marsh Tit, but don’t rely on this, because, as we mentioned, there is some variability with this feature.
However, take a close look at the upper mandible of this Willow Tit, and you will notice straight away that there is no white spot, compared to what we previously saw on the Marsh Tit.
References
- Based on BTO Data
