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Photo: Original: Nikola Veljković; this edit cropped & colour balanced: MPF / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Sombre Tit

Poecile lugubris

Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.

The Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) is a member of the Paridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 15.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Paridae Tits, Chickadees
  4. Genus Poecile
  5. Species lugubris

Where it lives

Montane southern Slovenia east to Romania, south through Greece, Turkey to southwestern Georgia, southern Armenia, southwestern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran, south to northern Israel and south-central Iran

Quick facts

Weight
15.8 g
Family
Paridae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sombre Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Sombre Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) is a member of the Paridae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL montane s Slovenia e to Romania, s through Greece, Turkey to sw Georgia, s Armenia, sw Azerbaijan and nw Iran, s to n Israel and sc Iran.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.8 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.3 million km².

Songs & calls

Sombre Tit — Call, song, various calls

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sombre Tit?

The Sombre Tit is a small bird that weighs around 15.8 g.

Where does the Sombre Tit live?

The Sombre Tit is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL montane s Slovenia e to Romania, s through Greece, Turkey to sw Georgia, s Armenia, sw Azerbaijan and nw Iran, s to n Israel and sc Iran, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Sombre Tit belong to?

The Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Sombre Tit eat?

The Sombre Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Sombre Tit migrate?

The Sombre Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Sombre Tit endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Sombre Tit make?

1 real field recording of the Sombre Tit — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sombre Tit's range?

The Sombre Tit has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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