Mobile bird identification
Bird Field Guide
Adult
Note the warm buff-orange underside of this bird with large pale cheeks. This image also highlights the Willow Tits pale wing panel.
Distribution:
Widespread resident bird throughout Europe. Rare in the UK, absent from Northern Scotland, considered a species of concern in the UK due to decreasing breeding numbers which was only 3400 pairs in 2009.
Widespread resident bird throughout Europe. Rare in the UK, absent from Northern Scotland, considered a species of concern in the UK due to decreasing breeding numbers which was only 3400 pairs in 2009.
Habitat:
Can be found in deciduous and coniferous woodland, often in Birch trees in the vicinity of water.
Can be found in deciduous and coniferous woodland, often in Birch trees in the vicinity of water.
Notes:
The rare Willow Tit is a difficult bird to identify being almost identical to the Marsh Tit, no single visual identification factor can be used alone for proof of identification, as plumage varies slightly within each species and a combination of factors will need to be noted in order to be confident of the birds identity. The birds calls however are very different and if heard can make identification more straight forward.
The rare Willow Tit is a difficult bird to identify being almost identical to the Marsh Tit, no single visual identification factor can be used alone for proof of identification, as plumage varies slightly within each species and a combination of factors will need to be noted in order to be confident of the birds identity. The birds calls however are very different and if heard can make identification more straight forward.
Willow Tit
Poecile montana
Thanks to:www.flickr.com/photos/franco_baresi/ (Modified)
Play call/song...
Tits & Allies Menu
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species: P. montana
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species: P. montana
Thanks to:www.flickr.com/photos/gartenfreuden (Modified)
Other Tit's
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Shiny black cap
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Plain winged
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White face
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Grey-brown upperparts
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Grey-buff underparts
Willow Tit (Rare)
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Dull black cap
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Pale wing panel
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White face
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Dull brown back
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Warm orange buff flanks
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Long thin tail
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Dull white head
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Pink and brown back
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White underside
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Small round appearance
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Small blue and yellow bird
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White cheeks
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Bright blue cap
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Dark line through eye
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Black chin
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Shiny black head
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Bold white cheek
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Black stripe down breast
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Bright yellow underside
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Large for a Paridae
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Black head with white nape patch
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Greyish back
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Bright buff underside
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Large black bib
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Two white wing bars
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Pointed distinctive crest
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White face
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Buff underside
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Plain wings, no wing bars
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Brown back
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Blue-grey head
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Rufus brown body
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Streaked wings
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Long tail
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Black mark down face on male
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Broad black mark across face
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Red-brown back
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Dull white underside
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Pale grey face
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Red-brown band on wings
Penduline Tit (Rare)
Willow Tit or Marsh Tit?
| Willow Tit | Marsh Tit | |
| Head shape | Large, no neck | Smaller, longer neck |
| Facial pattern | White face curves right up to nape | White face smaller, not to nape |
| Crown colour & shape | Dull mate black, narrow at nape | Shiny black, wide at nape |
| Throat patch | Larger black patch | Smaller black patch |
| Wing panel | Distinctive pale panel | Plain winged |
| Underparts | Warm buff with orange-buff flanks | Pale buff |
| Bill colour | Plain black | Plain black with pale mark on upper bill below nostril |
| Tail shape | Rounder tail corners | Square corners |
| Habitat | High & low in both Deciduous & Coniferous | Usually low on deciduous |
Dull black cap
White cheeks
Pale wing panel
Black chin
Pale orange buff flanks
Dull brown back
Grey buff underside
Willow Tit (left), Marsh Tit (right):
Compare the size of the pale cheeks, the Willow Tits runs right up the the black nape, the Marsh Tits pale cheeks are much smaller.
Compare the size of the pale cheeks, the Willow Tits runs right up the the black nape, the Marsh Tits pale cheeks are much smaller.
Unlike the Willow Tit, this Marsh Tit lacks the warm buff-orange flanks and the upper-parts are more grey-brown than dull-brown. You can also see the smaller pale cheeks on this bird with a buff-brown shading running up to the nape from the back.
