Irish Coal Tit

Meantán dubh | Parus ater hibernicus

The Coal Tit is the smallest member of the Tit family and one of Europe’s smallest birds, measuring just 10cm from beak tip to tail end.

A resident breeding species all year round and very common throughout all of Ireland. The Irish Coal Tit can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from dense woodland to parks and commonly, gardens, where they frequent bird feeding stations alongside their slightly larger and more vibrant relatives, Blue Tits. These birds survive only 2 years on average, with a wide range of predators including domestic cats and other birds such as falcons. The population decreases significantly each winter due to cold weather and food shortages.

One of Ireland’s three endemic subspecies of bird, the Irish Coal Tit is very similar to its British counterpart although its plumage appears much warmer in colour, especially on the chest and underbelly. The prominent white cheek spots that the British counterpart has are somewhat more yellow when we look at the Irish subspecies. The bold black cap and throat patches still remain, with a conspicuous bright white patch at the back of the head (nape). When alarmed, Coal Tits raise small spiked crowns atop their heads which are otherwise concealed. Both sexes are similar in appearance however young birds have darker yellow face patches, browner chests and underbellies and are a dull olive green on their backs and wings.

In comparison to other members of the Tit family, Irish Coal Tits have much larger heads in relation to their bodies, making them appear top heavy at times. They also have longer breaks than their relatives too, enabling them to feed on the hard-to-reach seeds of conifers and probe wall crevices and tree bark to extract spiders and beetles. These birds are expert wall-clingers, and are just as often seen perched vertically on brick walls, combing the bricks in search of food, as they are on bird feeders and tabes. Irish Coal Tits are peanut fanatics and enjoy taking whole peanuts, which they can do much more easily of we remove the shells before putting them out. In winter time, they will cache supplies of peanuts in multiple locations, known as ‘scatter hoarding’, in order to maximise their food supplies during the harsh weather.

Coal Tits have a distinctive call, a rapid and high pitched tzee-tzee -tzee-tzit. Similar to the Great Tit call, although quieter, reflective of their smaller stature and more diminutive nature. Their song sounds similar to their other calls, but is embellished by a sequence of fast, fluid trills. Whilst they are happy to feed and nest in gardens, these tiny birds prefer their natural habitat of conifer forests where they can thrive amongst the tall trees and scale the tree trunks for small spiders and insects.

The breeding season begins in April and lasts until July. Female Coal Tits are true workhorses, building their nests entirely by themselves in which they lay up to 12 eggs that are incubated for a maximum of 16 days. Both parents will work together to attend to the needs of their chicks once hatched. These birds are cavity nesters, opting for holes in tree trunks but will also make use of garden bird nest boxes with small hole entrances that mimic the natural entrances of their nests. The nest itself is a substantial construction of moss and spider web, lined with wool and feathers.

The Irish Coal Tit, along with its more common relatives the Blue and Great, has long been associated with Irish Celtic symbolism. The Druids were rm believers that these birds held great power as messengers of the ‘Otherworld’, meaning the spiritual realm. It was believed that, similarly to the Blackbird, Tits possessed the ability to pass between the earthly and the spiritual realms and so were seen as messengers of both the people and the Gods. The Tit family of birds in particular, was symbolic of abundance and fertility, likely because they produce so many offspring during the breeding season.