..Coal Tit..
The Coal Tit is common in Ireland and at Corkagh but can easily be confused with the Great Tit. The Coal Tit is much smaller though and while it also has a black crown its belly is more buff/beige than yellow. It has a black collar rather than the stripe of the Great Tit and its wings lack the blue/green tinge. The male and female are indistinguishable from each other.
It is primarily a bird of woodland and eats mostly insects however in winter it will feed on seeds, nuts and fat balls and will visit gardens as a result.
It prefers to build its nest in tree cavities but will also nest nearer the ground deep within holes in rotting tree trunks.
Breeding starts in Spring and the Coal Tit usually only has one brood per year.
When the young have gained their independence they will leave their parents territory and join small flocks of other Tits among which they will overwinter.
I rarely actually see Coal Tits at Corkagh but this is simply because they prefer to stay high up in the tree canopy and when nearer the ground they move quickly. Its only in winter that we can watch out for them at our bird feeders.
