Marsh Tit

(Poecile palustris)

Alert Status: Red - 78% decline

Identifying Features: The marsh tit is a small, mainly brown bird, with a shiny black cap, dark 'bib' and pale belly.
Average Length: 12 cm
Average Lifespan: 2 years
Average Wingspan: 18-19 cm
 

Beak type: Insects
 

Feeding:
Natural: Insects and seeds
 

How to feed: If marsh tits find a good supply - perhaps at a garden feeder - they may start to hoard seeds, burying and hiding them as a store.
What to feed: Peanuts, seeds and fat may attract them to gardens, but usually only if there are woodlands nearby (contrary to their name, they do not live in marsh land). They are particularly fond of black sunflower seeds.
 

Nesting: The female builds the nest, which is a cup of moss lined with feathers and hair, in a hole in a tree. They usually nest in deciduous trees, like willows or alders.
 

Where to see: Most often found in broadleaf woodland, and also copses, parks and gardens across Southern England and Wales.