| Coal tit - Parus ater - Family: Paridae
 Coal tit - Parus ater© Robin Chittenden www.harlequinpictures.co.ukA common visitor to garden feeding stations, the coal tit is a gregarious bird often found among mixed flocks of other tits. It has slate-blue upper parts with two white wingbars, a black cap and throat, and white cheeks and nape. The breast and belly are a warm creamy-beige. Coal tits are found in deciduous and coniferous woodland, parks and gardens with trees and shrubs. They nest from late April in holes in trees but may also use nest boxes. The nests are lined with moss, spiders' webs, feathers and hair. They usually produce one brood in a breeding season. Coal tits are present all year. They can be attracted to feed on bird cakes although not as easily as their cousins, the blue tit and great tit. FoodCoal tits feed on insects and small spiders during the breeding season and on seeds, nuts and scraps from garden feeding stations. They are predator of spiders and harvestmen, flies, weevils and sawflies. PlantsBroom, Scots pine, Silver birch PreyBeetles, Bugs, Flies, Froghoppers and leafhoppers, Mosquitoes and midges, Moths, Sawflies, Spiders and harvestmen, Weevils PredatorsCarrion crow, Little owl, Sparrowhawk |
