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Coal tit

Denizen of lush spruce forests

Coal tit © Eero Haapanen
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Seurasaari island is a good place for observing coal tits (Periparus ater). While great tits and blue tits can be found everywhere in Helsinki, spotting a coal tit requires a trip into one of the area’s old, lush spruce forests. Forests near population centres are fine as well, and in the winter coal tits can be seen visiting bird feeders in graveyards.

The coal tit is Finland’s smallest tit species. It nests in nest boxes with an entrance hole diameter of approximately 2.5 cm. The head of the brown-grey coal tit is similar in colour to the great tit, but it also has a large, white spot on the back of its neck.