Best time to see: all year

Key facts

Despite its name, a neat and elegant woodland tit

Habitat: open deciduous woodland, parkland, well-wooded farmland and large gardens

Resident, still widespread across the north and west of Essex, but in long-term decline

Recognition

Typical tit shape with round head, glossy black head and small bib; 11–12 cm

Very active, foraging through the tree canopy often in the company of other tit species

Feeds on insects, seeds and wild fruit

Lifecycle

Nest is built of moss, hair and down in a natural hole in a tree or wall

1, sometimes 2, broods April to May; 6–8 white eggs, spotted reddish