Fun Marsh Tit Facts For Kids

The marsh tit (scientific name Poecile palustris) is a British bird that belongs to the tit family. There are eight species of its kind, the marsh tit being the most elegant one. One popular fact about this bird is that their hippocampus is quite large. They are popularly found in regions of Europe and in the Asian subcontinent which is the Palearctic region. They have also been found in abundance in towns and the woodlands of the southern region of Wales and western, northern and eastern England. They are monogamous birds and often find a partner bird for life. Most marsh tits lodge in their breeding territories forever and this is primarily because of their food storing abilities. They stick together for nearly half their lives. Research has revealed that hybridization with the willow tit has been recorded at least twice in the bird's lifespan.

The marsh tit's appearance is a grayish-brown body covered in soft feathers that contrast their black and white crown on their head and their nape. They mostly consume spiders and insects during spring and summer and thistle seeds and nuts and berries during fall and winter. These birds store large amounts of food. Other popular species of its kind are the blue tit, great tit, crested tit, coal tit, bearded tit, long-tailed tit, and willow tit. These birds are non-migratory birds. They make very short post-breeding movements, which means they stay exactly where their nests and eggs are for long periods of time.

Keep on reading to learn more interesting facts about this bird. For more relatable content, check out these purple finch facts and whiskered treeswift facts for kids. 

What type of animal is a marsh tit?

The marsh tit is a small bird that belongs to the Animal kingdom.

What class of animal does a marsh tit belong to?

The marsh tit is a bird that belongs to the class of Aves.

How many marsh tits are there in the world?

The population trend globally of the marsh tit is between 6.1 million-12 million. Despite their conservation status being Least Concern, the marsh tit's population range is on a steady decline.

Where does a marsh tit live?

The marsh tit is popularly found in regions of Europe and in the Asian subcontinent which is the Palearctic region. They have also been found in abundance in the towns and woodlands of the southern region of Wales and western, northern and eastern England. These birds have also been spotted in few regions of Japan and China.

What is a marsh tit's habitat?

The marsh tit (Poecile palustris) prefers a dry and parched habitat. They are found in broad woodlands, particularly in the shrub layer on trees. These birds have been spotted in urban as well as suburban regions of towns and cities. The majority of this bird's population has been recorded in regions of Europe and Asia. These birds are monogamous, meaning they seek a partner bird at all times. The marsh tit searches and hunts for food only during winter when food is scarce. During summer, these birds are found fluttering around in gardens eating any insect that catches their eye.

Who do marsh tits live with?

The marsh tit is a monogamous creature. These birds always find a partner bird that they fly around with. These birds do not have a large family.

How long does a marsh tit live?

The marsh tit bird can live for two or three years in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Marsh tits are monogamous birds and often find a partner bird for life. Most marsh tits lodge in their breeding territories forever and this is primarily because of their food storing abilities. They stick together for nearly half their lives. Statistics have revealed that hybridization with the willow tit has been recorded at least twice in this bird's lifespan. The breeding period usually commences in the first half of the year. Most often five to nine eggs are laid by the female marsh tit. These eggs are pure white covered in bright red spots. These eggs are laid in a nest that is located in trees. These tree holes are located in woods or in parks and gardens. More than often these holes are found in trees but sometimes in a wall or in the ground. These tree holes may be used or built by other birds like the willow tit which are further enlarged by these birds. 

These eggs are incubated for 14-15 days by the mother before the hatchlings can arrive. The hatchlings are fed by the mother bird for a period of seven to eight days. The marsh tit fledglings grow up quite fast and flutter away in less than 18 days.

What is their conservation status?

Marsh tits have been listed under the Least Concern category of birds. They are found in abundance and are far from the red list of conservation. The marsh tit range is large. However, it has been noted that there is some evidence of a decline in the population of this species of tits.

What do marsh tits look like?

The marsh tit's appearance is a grayish-brown body covered in soft feathers that are in contrast to their black and white head. The area below the bill is called a bib. The black bib is small and is surrounded by its white cheeks. This species has dusky brown ear coverts. The upper half of its body, tail, and wings are grayish-brown with soft fringes and a pale wing panel. The lower half of the bird are off-white with a tinge of brown and dark shades of buff on undertail coverts. The bill is sharp, pointy, and dark black. This bird has short dark gray legs. It also has a cute nape with soft brown feathers and a black crown. This species is very similar to the willow tit and has often been counted as a willow tit.

How cute are they?

Marsh tits are extremely cute because of their rounded bodies and sweet eyes and fluffy cheeks. This bird often hangs upside down by one leg which adds to its adorable features. They even make sweet calls and can sing wonderful a wonderful song.

How do they communicate?

The marsh tit communicates by making a clean 'pitchou' call. This is called the marsh tit call. Even the little ones sing. Some of the songs include a typical song like 'schip-schip-schip-schip-ship, 'tyeu-tyeu-tyeu-tyeu-tyeu', or just a sharp continuous 'pitchou'. Their calls are pretty famous as these calls are unique to these birds only.

How big is a marsh tit?

The average head-body length of a marsh tit is 4.7-5.9 in (12-15 cm). It is slightly smaller than the blue jay and in the similar range as great tits.

How fast can a marsh tit fly?

The exact speed of the marsh tit bird isn't known, but these woodland birds can be spotted to be sedentary in nature apart from when they are hunting or searching for food.

How much does a marsh tit weigh?

This species is known to be an extremely light weight bird. It is usually around 0.4 oz (11 g) which is 10 times lighter than the Sarus crane and nearly as heavy as the willow tit and coal tit.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the female and male sex of this bird. However, these birds are always found in pairs and it is not possible to tell them apart.

What would you call a baby marsh tit?

The baby is known as a chick or even hatchling. Once they fledge their nests, they are called fledglings.

What do they eat?

This bird mostly consumes spiders and insects during spring and summer and thistle seeds and nuts and berries during fall and winter. These birds store large amounts of food. They also feed on plant materials. The main appetite of these birds is different kinds of small insects and larvae.

Are they dangerous?

No, the marsh tit is not a dangerous bird. Even though these birds are not aggressive or dangerous, they might not be friendly towards intruders including humans. It is best to watch them from far.

Would they make a good pet?

This species is a wild bird. It is free and happy only when it is out in the wild living in its natural habitat enjoying the company of its partner bird. This bird would not make a good pet. In fact, all birds belong in the open where they can flutter around, and keeping them captive or even as a pet is not a good idea.

Did you know...

These birds call is one among the cleanest and clearest sounds among all species of its kind.

The marsh tit wings add to half of its body weight and it is almost as big as the willow tit. This is why marsh and willow tits look almost identical.

The other popular species of this kind are the blue marsh tit and Asian marsh tit.

This bird sometimes gives the impression of being bull-necked.

Are marsh tits endangered?

No, this species is not endangered. They are found in abundance. However, they are declining but at a very slow rate.

Do marsh tits migrate?

No, marsh tits are non-migratory birds. They make very short post-breeding movements, which means they stay exactly where their nests and eggs are for long periods of time.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our eastern kingbird fun facts and common swift facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable willow tit coloring pages.