ID Guide Tits – British Naturalists' Association

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Members of the tit family found in the UK

In the UK, there are six species of tits in the family Paridae, part of a large family of small passerine birds. The two most colourful, the great and blue tits are common and among the most persistent and successful visitors to garden feeders. Three others are more similar in appearance and harder to distinguish from a fleeting sighting. The sixth species is the crested tit, which is now recognised as being from a distinct genus.

The tits are generalist insectivores that consume a wide range of small insects and other invertebrates, particularly small defoliating caterpillars. They also consume seeds and nuts, particularly in the winter.

Great tit (<I>Parus major</I>) — Great tit (Parus major)
by D. Farrar

Blue tit (<I>Cyanistes caerulus</I>) — Blue tit (Cyanistes caerulus)
by D. Farrar

Willow tit (<i>Poecile montanus</i>) — Willow tit (Poecile montanus)
Photo: D. Farrar
Similar to Marsh Tit but has a thick-set neck, and pale patches on the wings. Highest conservation priority, with species needing urgent action.

Marsh tit (<i>Poecile palustris</i>) — Marsh tit (Poecile palustris)
Photo: D. Farrar
Similar to Willow Tit but has a glossy black head and no pale patches on the wings. Highest conservation priority, with species needing urgent action.

Coal tit (<I>Periparus ater</I>) — Coal tit (Periparus ater)
Photo: D. Farrar

Coal tit (<I>Periparus ater</I>) — Coal tit (Periparus ater)
Photo: S. Rutherford
(Showing white patch on back of head) Seen in woodland, especially conifer woods, parks and gardens.

Crested tit (<I>Lophophanes cristatus </I>) — Crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus )
Photo: K. Pickering
Confined to ancient Caledonian pine and Scots pine plantations in north-east Scotland.

In addition we have two unrelated species to which we have also called tits.

**The long-tailed tit (Aegethalos caudatus) Photo: D. Farrar**
This is not a true tit, but rather belongs to a closely-related small family Aegithalidae, characterised by their long tails and intricate nests woven from moss, lichen and cobwebs.

**The bearded tit (Panurus biarmicus) Photo: K. Hinchcliffe**
Also known as the bearded reedling is a small, sexually dimorphic reed-bed passerine and not actually a tit. New research has shown that this species is a sister group to the larks and is better placed in its own family, Panuridae It is usually found only in reedbeds but away from breeding areas in winter.