Coal Tit

1 Coal Tit Breed Overview

Many caged Coal Tits are male birds — do you know why? The reason is simple: the male’s call is louder, which wins the favor of many bird lovers. Wild Coal Tits are widely distributed; they can be seen across Asia, Europe, and Africa. If you see them in pairs, they are in the breeding season; if you see them in flocks, it means they currently have no breeding duties.

Coal Tits are lively and not especially afraid of people, so even if you approach them they will not panic — but if you startle them, they will quickly fly away.

In the wild, Coal Tits mainly eat insects and their larvae; many pest insects cannot escape their notice, which is why they are liked by many people. Besides insects and larvae, Coal Tits also eat some plant foods, such as flowers.

Chinese name: Coal Tit

Binomial name: Parus ater

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Aves

Subclass: Neornithes

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Paridae

Genus: Parus

Species: Coal Tit

2 Coal Tit Physical Characteristics

The Coal Tit is a small bird and a favorite of many owners. Because they are tiny, some wonder whether in nature they are very agile and hard to spot. In fact, as long as they are not startled, Coal Tits do not fly very fast, nor do they fly far away. But if startled, they vanish in the blink of an eye.

Coal Tits have soft plumage. In captivity, to keep their feathers healthy, besides feeding them scientifically, owners must bathe them regularly — but take care to prevent the bird from catching a chill and getting sick.

Coal Tit physical characteristics:

Body length: 10 cm.

Weight: 8 g.

Crown: black.

Nostrils: may be partly covered by feathers.

Bill: short and blunt.

Throat: black.

Neck: black on the side of the neck, with a large white patch on the nape.

Upper breast: black.

Wings: two white wing bars.

Back: gray, some individuals olive-gray.

Belly: white.

Legs: blue-gray, sturdy.

3 Coal Tit Care Tips

Although the Coal Tit is small, it harbors great energy. If its territory is invaded, it will step up and defend its home to the death, so to avoid territorial disputes, owners should not keep two Coal Tits too close together, or a conflict could have serious consequences. In fact, there are many other issues to watch for when keeping a Coal Tit, and owners should prepare in advance.

I. Food

Feeding a Coal Tit seems simple but contains much knowledge; improper feeding can not only prevent healthy growth but may cause illness or even death. (Reference article: Coal Tit feeding guidelines)

II. Bathing

Bathing is essential for Coal Tits; regular baths keep the plumage in high quality. When bathing a Coal Tit, owners should pay attention to the effect of temperature on the bird — for example, when it is cold, keep the bird warm, or it may easily catch a cold from bathing. There are mainly two bathing methods: 1. Shower, suitable when the temperature is higher; 2. Basin bath, where the owner prepares a bath basin with not-too-deep water, and the bird bathes on its own.

III. Taking the bird out

Taking the bird out lets it breathe fresh air and relax. When owners have time, they can take the bird out more often. If objective conditions prevent going out, the owner should ensure good ventilation at home.

Of course, owners may encounter other issues while keeping a Coal Tit, such as whether to change its food in winter. When a problem arises, the owner should first find the cause, then prescribe the right remedy. If you cannot solve it yourself, seek professional help promptly to avoid accidents.

4 Coal Tit Living Environment

Coal Tits are distributed across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Because of their bold nature, people sometimes see them right in their own yards. Non-captive Coal Tits mainly live in lower-elevation woods; generally above 300 m they are hard to find. Sometimes they also go to thickets in plains, mainly for two purposes — activity and foraging. To care for their offspring, Coal Tits build elaborate nests, usually in tree holes, and also in suitable rock crevices.

In captivity, the owner’s first concern should not be choosing a suitable cage, but ensuring a larger space for the bird to fly, which is very important for Coal Tits. Coal Tits kept long-term in a cage easily develop unexpected problems. If you cannot provide such space, you might as well give up the idea of keeping a Coal Tit.

If you can provide space for free flight, then you can consider the cage. Coal Tits are small birds, so the cage need not be large. Also, because Coal Tits like to bathe, the owner should prepare a suitable ‘bathtub.’ To keep the bird healthy, the owner must clean the cage.

Wild Coal Tits have some cold resistance, but owners should not compare captive birds to wild ones. If the temperature is low, the owner should still keep the Coal Tit warm.

5 Coal Tit Feeding Guidelines

In nature, Coal Tits eat ‘meat’ — insects are their main food — but in captivity we cannot provide this. To keep a Coal Tit healthy, the owner must understand what food is best for a captive bird.

You may see many owners sharing their feeding recipes, but after reading many you may not know which to use. If you face this choice, simply ask an expert or an experienced bird keeper; they will tell you, based on your bird’s actual condition, which recipe suits it best.

Some Coal Tits cannot adapt to the owner’s food at once — for example, the bird may initially refuse the dough-like feed. To avoid this, place mealworms on the dough feed so the bird pecks at them; while pecking the mealworms it will also eat the dough, and over time it will gradually adapt to eating dough.

To know whether the food suits a Coal Tit, the owner can observe the bird’s droppings daily. If the droppings are abnormal due to food, adjust the diet. Note that changes to a Coal Tit’s diet must be made very cautiously, not changed drastically at once. Also, the owner must not neglect water — drinking water must be clean, and the water cup washed frequently.