Coal Tit (Periparus ater), version 1.1

Gosler, Andrew; Clement, Peter

doi:10.2173/bow.coatit2.01.1species_shared.bow.project_name

- Coal Tit — © Ryan Schain

Macaulay Library

eBird

Coal Tit Periparus ater Scientific name definitions

Andrew Gosler and Peter Clement

Version: 1.1 — Published October 24, 2023
Revision Notes

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Field Identification

10–12 cm; 7.2–12 g. Small, slim-billed, black-crowned tit (some subspecies crested) with grayish upperparts and two wingbars. Male (nominate) has forehead to crown (including crown side down to eye) and nape black, tinged bluish (in Balkans/western Türkiye and in extreme southeastern Russia and Sakhalin, can possess a short, ragged crest), large white nuchal patch; cheek and ear coverts white; upperparts deep bluish gray (slightly paler blue gray in Russia east to about Lake Baikal), tinged lightly olive brown, more prominently brown to olive on rump and uppertail coverts; tail dark gray brown, all feathers finely fringed paler or grayish olive; upperwing coverts blackish gray, broadly fringed bluish gray, tips of median and greater coverts white, alula and primary coverts blackish, the latter fringed finely blue gray (in fresh plumage); flight feathers gray brown, tertials finely fringed grayer and broadly tipped white, secondaries and primaries finely fringed gray or olive gray, inner secondaries finely tipped white; chin and throat (including throat sides) to side of upper breast black, breast and belly white, flanks to vent and undertail coverts grayish to light cinnamon buff; axillaries and underwing coverts light buffish white; in worn plumage, white nuchal patch can show some dark bases, upperparts duller or darker bluish gray, pale fringes and tips of wing coverts abraded and grayer, edges of flight feathers worn or abraded, cheeks dingier, underparts also duller, dirty white on breast and belly and grayish buff on flanks to vent; iris brown or dark brown; bill black, paler gray sides; legs lead gray to dark bluish gray. Female is similar to male but female has crown slightly less glossy crown, mantle and scapulars a shade more greenish, wing coverts duller or fringed grayer, and chin to upper breast brownish black. Juvenile is similar to adult, but crown and nape sooty gray, nuchal patch smaller and more yellowish white, upperparts dark gray with brownish or greenish-olive wash, median and greater coverts fringed dark gray and tipped off white, flight feathers as adult or fringed greenish or olive, cheeks washed pale yellow, chin to breast dark brown or grayer, rest of underparts yellowish except pale buff flanks and undertail coverts.

Systematics History

Distinctive subspecies melanolophus often treated as separate species, differing from all other races by its dark grey belly (3), chestnut flanks (2) and cinnamon vs buff vent (1), but molecular evidence, voice, and behavior indicate it is conspecific (1, 2, 3); further study warranted. Species has hybridized with Willow Tit (Poecile montanus), Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus), and Great Tit (Parus major). Geographical, local, and individual variation all marked, but subspecies intergrade in parts of range. Proposed subspecies pinicolus (Scotland) synonymized with britannicus; abietum (western and central mainland Europe), rossosibiricus (western Siberia), and amurensis (Amurland) merged with nominate, though sometimes considered valid (4); and gaddi (southeastern Azerbaijan and northern Iran) and chorassanicus (Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran) included in phaeonotus (5). Further revision of subspecies in western Asia perhaps necessary (6). Twenty-one subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

Subspecies differ mainly in depth and tone of plumage coloration.

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (British) Periparus ater britannicus/hibernicus

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater hibernicus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Ireland.

Identification Summary

Subspecies hibernicus resembles britannicus, but upperparts dull greenish olive (less buff), cheeks, ear coverts, nape patch and underparts pale yellow (whiter when worn) except for warm buff to cinnamon-buff flanks and undertail coverts, bib patch of female smaller.

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater britannicus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Great Britain and extreme northeastern Ireland.

Identification Summary

Subspecies britannicus is as nominate, but in fresh plumage, the cheeks, ear coverts, and nape patch are creamy white, the upperparts are grayish olive buff and less bluish, the edges of the remiges and rectrices olive (and white tip only on upper tertial), the bib slightly less extensive, flanks to vent and undertail coverts pale rufous buff to cinnamon buff (paler when worn), variable, in Scotland upperparts olive gray and flanks to undertail coverts brownish buff (“pinicolus”).

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Continental) Periparus ater [ater Group]

Identification Summary

Subspecies insularis is as nominate, but the tips of median upperwing coverts buffish, and underparts paler or more creamy to cream buff.

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Atlas) Periparus ater ledouci/atlas

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater atlas Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Morocco.

Identification Summary

Subspecies atlas is similar to nominate, but upperparts dull grayish green, cheeks, ear coverts and nape patch yellowish white, bib slightly more extensive than other subspecies (reaching to upper breast), lower breast and center of belly yellowish white, flanks deep buffish gray.

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater ledouci Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Northern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia.

Identification Summary

Subspecies ledouci resembles atlas, but upperparts green with grayish-olive wash (slightly duller and grayer on female), cheeks, ear coverts, nape patch, lower breast and belly washed pale yellow, flanks olive gray.

EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Cyprus) Periparus ater cypriotes Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Cyprus (7).

Identification Summary

Subspecies cypriotes has black on head more extensive (white face patch more restricted), reaching to upper mantle, upperparts rich brown, tips of median coverts warm buff, edges of remiges and rectrices brownish, larger bib extending to center of breast, breast to center of belly pale pinkish buff, flanks and lower underparts rufous brown.

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Caucasus) Periparus ater [phaeonotus Group]

Identification Summary

Subspecies phaeonotus is also similar to gaddi, but darker or more cinnamon brown above, and has paler underparts, with buff on flanks to undertail coverts. Some taxonomies recognize subspecies gaddi and chorassanicus, which are herein subsumed into phaeonotus. Taxon gaddi resembles subspecies michalowskii, but the mantle and scapulars richer or darker brown, and flanks to undertail coverts also washed darker buff brown. Subspecies chorassanicus is similar to gaddi, but mantle paler gray, tinged sandy brown.

EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Black-crested) Periparus ater melanolophus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Eastern Afghanistan, northwestern Pakistan, and Himalayas east to west-central Nepal.

Identification Summary

Subspecies melanolophus is very distinctive by virtue of darker mantle, rufous breast sides and flanks, and dark gray belly.

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Himalayan) Periparus ater [aemodius Group]

EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Coal Tit (Chinese) Periparus ater ptilosus/kuatunensis

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater kuatunensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Southeastern China (southern Anhui south to northwestern Fujian).

Identification Summary

Subspecies kuatunensis is similar to pekinensis, but has longer crest, nape patch nearly white, blue-gray upperparts faintly tinged olive on back, cheeks tinged pale buff, and underparts creamy buff with flanks grayish.

SUBSPECIES

Periparus ater ptilosus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Taiwan.

Identification Summary

Subspecies ptilosus is very similar to kuatunensis, but crest longer, upperparts slightly darker, and generally whiter or less buffish on underparts.

Habitat

Conifer forests , mainly (in parts of range almost exclusively) in spruce (Picea), also mixed forest, often dominated by birch (Betula), and in pine (Pinus) and larch (Larix) in Siberia. In S Europe, Caucasus and NW Iran mostly in aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) or Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia), montane beech (Fagus) and oak (Quercus) forests, and in NW Africa mainly in junipers (Juniperus), cedars (Cedrus) and oaks, including holm oak (Quercus ilex), cork oak (Quercus suber) and zeen oak (Quercus faginea), also holly (Ilex), pines and gum juniper (Tetraclinis articulata); in Iran occurs locally also in high-altitude junipers. In C Asia, Himalayas and N China occurs in spruce, fir (Abies), hemlock (Tsuga) and birch and above treeline in dwarf junipers, but in SC China more often in pines; in Europe often in conifer plantations and in urban and suburban areas with small numbers of conifers. In non-breeding season often in similar habitat, but also more frequently in deciduous woodland, parks and gardens . Breeds throughout much of W Palearctic from sea-level to c. 1800 m, exceptionally to 2050 m, but only above 500 m in Caucasus and above 1250 m in S Bulgaria, and in NW Africa at 1000–2500 m in Middle and High Atlas (Morocco); in N Iran occurs at 1220–2135 m, at 1500–3000 m in Afghanistan; 2440–4000 m in NE Indian Subcontinent (exceptionally, to 4250 m in Nepal), 2745–3445 m in N Myanmar, 1220–2745 m in NW China, 2100–4570 m in SW China, and 800–1800 m in NE China and Korea; mostly at 600–2550 m in Japan but occurs down to sea-level on Hokkaido, and in Taiwan resident between 2000 m and 3500 m. In Himalayas, winters between 1800 m and 3810 m; race melanolophus in Pakistan recorded in foothills down to 600 m, exceptionally to 370 m or lower, including in gardens in large cities (Islamabad, Rawalpindi) and plains of R Indus in Feb; many, however, remain at high altitude throughout winter, including at 2400 m in N Pakistan and at 2955 m in Kashmir when deep snow still lying.

Movement

Resident or makes short-distance altitudinal movements in S & W of range; N & E populations move longer distances, and occasionally irruptive. In British Is moves short distances, with very few recoveries at more than 20 km (most less than half this distance). Adults in Scandinavia and C Europe chiefly resident, but juveniles regularly migrate S or SW between late Aug and early Nov, mostly to S France and N Italy; in years when seed crop poor or fails, these S movements become much larger, often involving numerous large flocks totalling thousands of individuals (e.g. 35,000 at Hanko Bird Observatory, in S Finland, and more than 18,700 at Falsterbo, in S Sweden), usually during late Aug to early Oct; ringing studies reveal that flocks involved in these movements may travel up to 60 km per day, and may coincide with similar large-scale movements of Poecile montanus and Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus); in irruption years some reach S & E coasts of British Is, and exceptionally NE Spain and Morocco; return passage movements usually Apr–May, occasionally into Jun. In W Russia may completely desert breeding area in some years and be present throughout (including in N parts) in others; small numbers also move N in autumn into N taiga forest and edges of tundra on shores of Arctic Ocean and Taymyr Peninsula, e.g. one ringed in Kaliningrad (W Russia) in Oct recovered 2000 km ENE in following Apr; similar pattern around Vladivostok, in SE Russia, with some present throughout year and small numbers moving S in Oct–Nov and returning mid Mar to May. In NE China, regular autumn passage migrant at Beidaihe in Oct–Nov; in Korea (nominate race) and Japan (insularis) primarily altitudinal migrant, but insularis largely absent from Hokkaido (N Japan) in winter, when more numerous in Honshu and also at least occasional visitor to NE coast of China and Taiwan. Race aemodius a seasonal altitudinal migrant in Himalayas. Vagrant in Israel.

Diet and Foraging

Food adult and larval bugs (Hemiptera), including aphids (Aphidoidea), also beetles (Coleoptera), lacewings (Neuroptera), flies (Diptera), caddis flies (Trichoptera), moths (Lepidoptera), damselflies (Odonata), bush-crickets (Orthoptera), bees and wasps (Hymenoptera), ants (Formicidae), spiders (Araneae), harvestmen (Opiliones), mites (Acari), millipedes (Diplopoda), centipedes (Chilopoda), slugs and small molluscs, and small earthworms (Oligochaeta); also seeds , preferentially of spruce (but often not available owing to unpredictability of cone crop), fir, pine, yew (Taxus), juniper, larch, redwood (Sequoia), cypress (Chamaecyparis), Japanese cedars (Cryptomeria), beech, sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), rowan (Sorbus), hornbeam (Carpinus), alder (Alnus), birch, walnut (Juglans), oak; also buds and catkins of willow (Salix), hazel (Corylus) and aspen (Populus), and sap of aspen, birch and maple (Acer). Regularly visits birdtables and feeders, where it takes nuts , seeds and household scraps, and has learnt to pierce or open milk-bottle tops to take cream. Size of insect prey usually up to c. 2–3 mm, exceptionally 6–7 mm, but caterpillars of 14 mm fed to nestlings. Diet of nestlings similar to that of adult but fewer seeds; in years of high caterpillar abundance these can form entire diet of nestlings, but generally fewer caterpillars in pine forest, where relies mainly on spiders. Seeds and hard-shelled insects rapidly and repeatedly stabbed with bill to remove outer husk or shell before softer parts eaten or taken for storage; also holds seeds in foot while tearing off outer layer. Stores food, mostly spruce seeds (or invertebrates when spruce seeds not available), between Jun and Dec (possibly also Apr), in lichen and bark crevices and holes in upper parts of trees and in base of hedges or holes in ground; cached food utilized in times of hard winter weather, but in parts of range only small part of winter diet is from stored food; at study sites recovery of stored food variable, from none at all to accidental refinding or considerable dependency, differing according to location and to severity of winter. Occurs alone, in pairs or in loose groups of pairs, and in non-breeding season highly social and often in fairly large groups of up to 50 individuals, more exceptionally flocks of hundreds or thousands recorded in Siberia; also joins mixed-species foraging flocks, which frequently include Lophophanes dichrous, P. rufonuchalis, Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris), Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) and leaf-warblers (Phylloscopus). Actively and acrobatically forages mostly in upper levels of conifer trees , often perching on or hanging from cones and vertical needle clumps while extracting seeds with its fine bill, also flutters and hovers while gleaning insects from the outside of foliage; in deciduous trees more often examines branches, twigs and leaves (including undersides) for concealed insects; may also climb trunk vertically, and pursue slow-flying insects in flight. Frequently forages on ground , usually for fallen seeds and fruits of beech, sweet chestnut (Castanea) and oak; on snow-covered ground may forage in areas exposed by squirrels (Sciuridae) and wild pigs (Sus).

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Calls include distinctive, mellow or plaintive “pui” or “tsuee” and variations with differing emphasis, including “sih”, “sui” and “tseuueet”, sometimes combined with other notes and run into longer phrases e.g. “swee-pi, sui-pi”, and may conclude with drawn-out twitter; also thin “sisisi” similar to high-pitched note of Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), and especially in C Asia a more rapid “chit, chipipipip” similar to that given by both Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus; alarm notes include repeated series of sharp “pwee” or “peeh” notes, sometimes combined with series of harsher or more hoarse “szee”, “zee” or “eez”; adults (usually mostly female) and feathered young give drawn-out hissing, similar to that of other parids, when predator in vicinity of nest; in N Africa, seemingly uniquely, a low churring or trilling “trrrrrrrr” alarm. Song , in Mar–Sept, a two-note or three-note phrase repeated several times at varying speed and emphasis, “teehuu, teechuu”, “tchuee-tchuee” or “chip-pe chip-pe”, “peechoo-peechoo-peechoo”, “tu-wa-chi tu-wa-chi”, “chi-chi-chi”, “pe-twi pe-twi” and the like, also a more slurred but rhythmic “sit-tui, sit-tui, sit-tui”. Male has up to 16 song types, each varying slightly from others, and these can be given in same song period or different ones given from one perch to another; little geographical variation, although on Cyprus (race cypriotes) song considered to be lower-pitched and slightly slower and includes some buzzing notes; female also sings, usually less loudly than male, but unaccompanied females can equal male.

Breeding

Season end Mar to late Jul, later in N of range than in S; frequently two broods (though rarely so in deciduous woods), occasionally three, but only one on Corsica and in N Africa. Monogamous, with lifelong pair-bond; members of one pair recorded together for six years. Territorial. Pair formation and display involve prolonged periods of wing-shivering and wheezing calls and slow gliding flight by male, with wings and tail fully spread, passing close to partner, followed by lengthy courtship feeding. Nest built by female alone, cup-shaped, made almost entirely of moss, some animal hair, wool and some feathers incorporated, placed in hole or cavity (usually with very narrow entrance) in tree trunk or old stump, including abandoned hole of rodent or woodpecker (Picidae), sometimes in hole or crevice in wall or rocks , in ground under stones, among roots of fallen tree or in mouse (Muridae) hole; holes in trees not usually excavated by pair but may be enlarged; nestbox occasionally used; size of territory not well studied but possibly small, radius c. 100 m in optimum habitats. Clutch 5–13 eggs, generally fewer in W Mediterranean, S & SE Asia and Japan, second clutches also smaller; incubation by female, period 14–16 days; chicks brooded by female, fed by both parents, nestling period 18–22 days, in Japan sometimes shorter (c. 16 days); recently fledged young remain together in thick cover for first few days out of nest, in contrast to behaviour of most other parids (young of which follow adults). Breeding success generally high: in studies in Germany, Corsica and Turkey, ratios of young fledged as percentage of eggs laid were 88·5% in spruce forest, 82% (first broods) and 87% (second broods) in larch plantations, 73% in cedar woodland, 57% in evergreen oak woodland, 78% in mixed woodland; ratios of young fledging as percentage of young hatched were 98% (first broods) and 99% (second broods) in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), 92% (first broods) and 100% (second broods) in Corsican pine (Pinus nigra) and 99% in broadleaf woodland; loss of young to natural causes (other than predation) small compared with broods of Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus. Breeds in first year.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common or fairly common in much of range; locally common in N Myanmar, and uncommon or scarce in Turkmenistan, Mongolia and SE China; recently discovered breeding in N Syria. SW Iranian race phaeonotus either very rare or, possibly, extinct; has not been seen since it was originally discovered, in 1870. European breeding population between 13,000,000 and 27,000,000 pairs. Breeding densities variable, depending on habitat and, sometimes, on abundance of nestboxes; up to 50 pairs/km² in Scots pine plantation in E England, and twice that in optimum habitat elsewhere in Europe; in C Siberia, occurs at densities of 124–138 birds/km² in pine woods. Some expansion of range in NW Europe within 20th century, principally into W Scotland (Outer Hebrides), W Ireland, Scilly Is, Channel Is and W France; at same time has increased numerically in Britain, Belgium, Netherlands and Hungary, largely as a result of large-scale increase in commercial forestry plantations. In S Germany, small decline in numbers in spruce forest in Harz Mts owing to large-scale reduction in aphids and spiders caused by industrial pollution and acid rain.

Distribution of the Coal Tit - Range Map — Enlarge

Year-round

Migration

Breeding

Non-Breeding

Distribution of the Coal Tit

Illustrations

All Illustrations (9)

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Gosler, A. and P. Clement (2023). Coal Tit (Periparus ater), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.coatit2.01.1

Language	Common name
Albanian	Trishtili i zi
Arabic	قرقف فحمي
Armenian	Սև երաշտահավ
Asturian	Beranñn prietu
Azerbaijani	Qara arıquşu
Basque	Pinu-kaskabeltza
Bulgarian	Черен синигер
Catalan	mallerenga petita
Chinese	煤山雀
Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China)	煤山雀
Chinese (SIM)	煤山雀
Croatian	jelova sjenica
Czech	sýkora uhelníček
Danish	Sortmejse
Dutch	Zwarte Mees
English	Coal Tit
English (United States)	Coal Tit
Finnish	kuusitiainen
French	Mésange noire
French (France)	Mésange noire
Galician	Ferreiriño dos piñeiros
German	Tannenmeise
Greek	Ελατοπαπαδίτσα
Hebrew	ירגזי שחור
Hungarian	Fenyvescinege
Icelandic	Barrmeisa
Italian	Cincia mora
Japanese	ヒガラ
Korean	진박새
Latvian	Meža zīlīte
Lithuanian	Juodoji zylė
Mongolian	Өдөрч хөх бух
Norwegian	svartmeis
Persian	چرخ‌ ریسک پس ‌سر سفید
Polish	sosnówka
Portuguese (Portugal)	Chapim-carvoeiro
Romanian	Pițigoi de brădet
Russian	Московка
Serbian	Jelova senica
Slovak	sýkorka uhliarka
Slovenian	Menišček
Spanish	Carbonero Garrapinos
Spanish (Spain)	Carbonero garrapinos
Swedish	svartmes
Turkish	Çam Baştankarası
Ukrainian	Синиця чорна

Coal Tit Periparus ater Scientific name definitions

Species names in all available languages

Revision Notes

Periparus ater (Linnaeus, 1758)

Definitions

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Field Identification

Systematics History

Subspecies

Coal Tit (British) Periparus ater britannicus/hibernicus

Periparus ater hibernicus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater hibernicus (Ingram, 1910)

Definitions

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Periparus ater britannicus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater britannicus (Sharpe & Dresser, 1871)

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Coal Tit (Continental) Periparus ater [ater Group]

Periparus ater ater Scientific name definitions

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Periparus ater ater (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Periparus ater vieirae Scientific name definitions

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Periparus ater vieirae (Nicholson, 1906)

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Periparus ater sardus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater sardus (Kleinschmidt, 1903)

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Periparus ater pekinensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater pekinensis (Verreaux, 1868)

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Periparus ater insularis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater insularis (Hellmayr, 1902)

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Coal Tit (Atlas) Periparus ater ledouci/atlas

Periparus ater atlas Scientific name definitions

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Periparus ater atlas (Meade-Waldo, 1901)

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Periparus ater ledouci Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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Periparus ater ledouci (Malherbe, 1845)

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Coal Tit (Cyprus) Periparus ater cypriotes Scientific name definitions

Distribution

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