Some individuals may not be able to tell the difference between a Coal Tit or Great Tit, and you might be forgiven for believing they are pretty similar.
However, a few crucial features might help you tell them apart fast.
In this post, I’ll go through those distinctions in detail so you can readily recognize them if they come on your feeder!
How to Differentiate Between Coat Tit or Great Tit?
The color of their plumages and size is the greatest methods to detect the difference between a Coal Tit and a Great Tit.
Great Tits have a more vibrant and eye-catching plumage of olive-green and yellow with a noticeable black stripe running down the center.
While Coal Tits have dullish-gray plumage with buff streaks. Coal Tits are likewise much smaller than Great tits. Both birds have black feathers on their heads and white under their eyes.
There are a few additional methods to tell these two species apart, which we will go over through the rest of the article
| Point of Difference | Coal tits | Great tits |
| Dimensions | Smaller in sizeAverage Size – 11.5 cmWingspan- 19cm Weight- 9gm (0.3oz) | Bigger in sizeAverage Size – 14cmWingspan- 24 cmWeight- 18 gm(0.6oz) |
| Commonness | Not so common660,000 pairs | Much more common2.4 million pairs |
| Song | A coal tit’s call and song are both high pitched, and the song is a’seetoo, seetoo, seetoo’ sound. | The song of the great tit consists of a series of happy high-pitched cries that sound akin to a ‘ti-ta ti-ta’ sound. Their cries are likewise high pitched and can occasionally be a harsh ‘che che che che’, akin to a magpie. |
| Behavior | Coal Tits are also fairly brave, but the great tit’s size advantage typically results in their ‘winning’ any conflicts at feeders. | Great Tits have more assertive attitudes and frequently utilize their size to intimidate and scare off other birds from feeders. |
| Habitat | Habitats are almost the same, both prefer woodlands, parks, gardens in towns and cities. Coal tits enjoy and frequently prefer coniferous woodlands. | Habitats are almost same, both prefer woodlands, parks, gardens in towns and cities. Great tits prefer to avoid coniferous forests. |
| Diet | Coal Tits are very fond of conifer seeds, which explains why they prefer coniferous woods. They both love insects and fruits | Great Tits consume sunflower seeds from bird feeders, so keep your feeders stocked with them to attract them to your yard. They both love insects and fruits |
| Migration | Coal Tits are all typically resident, spending the entire year in the UK, and do not migrate. | The vast majority of great tits in the UK are residents and hence stay all year. During the colder months, a tiny wintering population migrates south and ends up in the United Kingdom. |
| Breeding | Coal Tits typically conclude their mating season in July, whereas Great Tits finish sooner, around May. | Great Tits typically produce six to eleven eggs each clutch, whereas coal tits lay five to thirteen eggs per clutch. |
| Life Expectancy | A coal tit’s typical lifespan is slightly shorter, at two years. | A great tit has an average lifetime of around three years |
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