Tits · Perching birds
Willow Tit
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Poecile montanus
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Voice
Song
How to recognize it
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Small, chunky tit with a large head and short neck
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Dull black cap extends far back onto the nape
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White cheeks, large black bib, grey-brown upperparts
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Nasal “zee, zee, zee” or spaced “tee..tee..tee…”
About the species
Willow Tit looks compact and brisk, with a large head and a short neck. It is easy to remember for its quiet grey-brown look and the dark cap that runs far back over the head.
It moves cautiously, but not slowly. In the canopy it can be surprisingly nimble, sometimes hanging upside down from a thin twig, and it often searches tucked-away spots for food. Its voice is simple and repeated, usually a thin call or a soft, even whistle, heard more often in the breeding season.
It favors coniferous and mixed woods and is less tied to human settlements than many other tits. It feeds on insects, larvae, seeds, and fruits, with conifer seeds becoming especially important in winter, and it stores food for later; in many places it stays all year.
Where to find
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In mature conifer parks and wooded boulevards—especially near fallen trunks and rotten stumps, where Willow Tit hunts for larvae and seeds, often hanging upside down from a thin twig.
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Along canal banks, stream edges, and pond fringes, look in willow thickets and alder patches for its quiet whistles and short “zee-zee” calls from the lower branches.
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At the edge of damp groves and river floodplain plantings, it works bark, cracks, and moss on trunks in the early morning.
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In winter, check dense spruces and pines on park edges—this is where it caches seeds in bark crevices and among needles.
