Marsh Tit Poecile palustris   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae
BTO Codes: MT, MARTI EURING No: 14400
Number in Britain: 53 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Declining
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Tips on  Identification
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder
Subspecies: dresseri recorded in Britain (of 10 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 12 cm Wingspan: 19 cm Weight: M/F: 12 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: poikolos=spotted and L.: palus=a marsh
World Distribution: Locally in Europe, Asia
Habitat: Mixed woodland, towns
Diet: Summer, insects, spiders, winter, also seeds, nuts, berries; food cached over winter

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 53 thousand territories in 2000     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: 1678
    Latest Survey: Perrins, C.M. (2003) British Birds 96:418-426
    Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline (1969-2007),
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern: dresseri RED (Recent Decline)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 2.9 to 5.4 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 16 x 12 mm Egg Weight: 1.2 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 37   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 7 - 9 eggs 7.77 ± 1.45 (2 - 11) N = 452
Incubation: 14- 16 days 14.64 ± 1.54 (12 - 17) N = 452   by the: Female
Fledging: 18 - 21days 19.14 ± 2.12 (15 - 22.5) N = 707 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 20 Apr (9 Apr - 6 May)
Number of Broods: 1(2)
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.470 ± 0.060       
Juvenile Survival: 0.190 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 2 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 10 years 1 months 26 days (set in 1994)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: A
Wing Length Adult: 62.5 ± 1.9     Range 55.0 - 68.0 mm, (N = 1211)
Juvenile: 61.9 ± 1.8     Range 55.0 - 71.0 mm, (N = 4658)
Male: 63.5 ± 2.0     Range 56.0 - 67.0 mm, (N = 92)
Female: 61.5 ± 1.6     Range 57.0 - 67.0 mm, (N = 139)
Weight Adult: 10.72 ± 0.67 Range 8.40 - 13.00 g , (N =991)
Juvenile: 10.5 ± 0.6 Range 8.2 - 13.0 . , (N =4223)
Male: 10.80 ± 0.61 Range 9.30 - 13.00 g , (N =86)
Female: 10.68 ± 0.84 Range 8.80 - 13.00 g , (N =122)
Seasonal: Summer 10.59 ± 0.63 (N = 509)   Autumn 10.72 ± 0.56 (N = 379)   Winter 10.75 ± 0.61 (N = 1741)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Previously Parus palustris 
Gaelic: Cailleachag-lòin Welsh: Titw'r Wern
Danish: Sumpmejse Dutch: Glanskop
Finnish: Viitatiainen French: Mésange nonnette
German: Sumpfmeise Hungarian: Barátcinege
Icelandic: Laufmeisa Irish: Meantán Lathaí
Italian: Cincia bigia Norwegian: Løvmeis
Polish: Sikora uboga Portuguese: Chapim-palustre
Spanish: Carbonero palustre Swedish: Entita

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Perrins, C. 1979 British tits Collins, London [598.922 PER]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead