Appearance:

Unmistakable. Very small, mouselike bird with short rounded wings, short neck and upright tail. Upperparts chestnut brown and finely barred. Underparts light buff. Forages in thick undergrowth and low bushes, crevices and holes for insects. Easily overlooked, but betrays its presence by its big voice. One of the smallest bird in northern Europe.

Sound:

Song surprisingly loud. A high-pitched stream of clear notes resembling Robin and Dunnock in timbre. Differs from those in showing frequent shifts in pitch with much larger register than Dunnock, and by the unique, numerous, interspersed long trills. Warning call a short hard "teck", like banging two rocks together. Often repeated in series when excited to form machine-gun-like "firing".

Alarm call, song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Glossy black hood and plain, pale brown upperparts. Cheeks brownish towards nape. Small, rounded, black bib. Small pale spot on base of upper mandible (often surprisingly visible, despite small size). Very similar to Willow Tit, especially British sub.sp. Willow tit has bigger head, not so glossy cap, whiter cheeks, larger bib and pale wing panel.

Sound:

Most easily identified by sound. Especially in areas where plumage is less distinct compared to Willow Tit, like in Britain. Most typical call an explosive, sneeze-like "pee-choo", starting high-pitched and ending on a lower note.

Also calls "chaa chaa chaa" but not so nasal and drawn-out as willow tit. Song: A simple one or two note call repeated in series. Usually rising slightly in pitch, and with a "liquid" quality. Sometimes also a ringing, vibrating song. Generally has a much sharper tone than the soft song of willow tit. Other calls: Various high pitched sound. Often quite explosive.

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC