Tit calls

Recordings April, Hertfordshire, England unless noted.

Blue Tit scolding alarm call.












Contact calls (Dec, Herts).











More contact calls (Dec, Herts).










Sometimes it can be difficult to determine if it is a call or a song.























Six birds interacting in an oak tree, with various calls, including song phrases.

song phrase








ps-ps-cha







tttt







high notes







high notes








At least 4 birds in close proximity (Mar, Herts).







Great Tits also have a wide variety of calls. The commonly heard pink alarm is very similar to a call of the Chaffinch (Jan, Herts).


Chaffinch pink (Apr, Herts)


Pink calls are often combined with other calls.









(Mar, Herts)









Any unfamiliar call heard in woodland is most likely to be a Great Tit.
(Jan, Herts)



Scolding calls, a few examples.
(Dec, Herts).



























This one (a song or a call?) sounds similar to a Coal or Marsh Tit.










Coal Tit alarm call. Unlike other species of tit, Coal Tits do not have harsh scolding calls.











Coal Tits also make a tittering call in interactions.



















Six birds interacting with each other (Apr, Herts).




Marsh Tit calls (Dec, Norfolk). The diagnostic call is a pitchu, but there are other calls, such as Blue Tit-like scolding.

scolding








pitchu








(Dec, Herts)



More Marsh Tit calls (Dec, Norfolk).



















Metallic calls by a Marsh Tit (other birds calling include Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tit, Dec, Herts).












The almost identical-appearing Willow Tit has different call notes (May, Herts, 1979).