Key information
The marsh tit is a small, mainly brown bird, with a shiny black cap, dark 'bib' and pale belly. In the UK its identification is made tricky by the very similar appearance of our race of willow tit. They're so hard to identify that ornithologists didn't realise there were two species until 1897!
What they eat:
Insects and seeds. If marsh tits find a good supply - perhaps at a garden feeder - they may start to hoard seeds, burying and hiding them for a rainy day. Their hippocampus - the part of their brain which specialises in remembering things - is large, bigger than a great tit's.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 11.5cm
- Wingspan:
- 18-19.5cm
- Weight:
- 10-13g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 41,000 territories
Identifying features:
Marsh tit
