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Coal Tit

Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers

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Periparus ater

Basic stats

Habitat

Forest; in Bhutan above the subtropical zone at about 3,000–3,800m in fir, hemlock and rhododendron forest; nest deep in a hole

Range

Temperate to subtropical Palearctic including North Africa

Clutch size

7–11 red-spotted white eggs, usually laid in May

Size

10–11.5cm

The coal tit is a small tit 10–11.5 cm long with a distinctive large white nape spot on a glossy blue-black head, off-white sides of the face tinged grey or yellow depending on subspecies, and white tips to the wing coverts that appear as two wingbars. The black-crested tit is now included in this species. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in forests throughout the temperate to subtropical Palearctic (Wikipedia, general species account).

In Bhutan, for example, coal tits are fairly common residents above the subtropical zone at about 3,000–3,800 m, in forests dominated by Bhutan fir, in those with Himalayan hemlock and in rhododendrons. Flocks keep contact with incessant short dee or see-see calls, and the song is a strident if-he, if-he, if-he, like the great tit's but faster and higher. Seven to eleven eggs are usually laid in May, and it typically breeds once a year, in a nest deep within a hole (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What habitat does the Coal Tit live in?
Forest; in Bhutan above the subtropical zone at about 3,000–3,800m in fir, hemlock and rhododendron forest; nest deep in a hole
Where is the Coal Tit found?
Temperate to subtropical Palearctic including North Africa
How many eggs does the Coal Tit lay?
7–11 red-spotted white eggs, usually laid in May
How big is the Coal Tit?
10–11.5cm
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