British Marsh Tit - 1949 status

Parus palustris dresseri

Fairly common resident, even in exposed west.

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society

Marsh Tit - 2003-07

The Marsh Tit has a glossy black cap and bib and lacks a wing bar. It is mostly found in deciduous woodland, nesting in natural holes, usually in trees.

The county breeding population was estimated to lie in the range of 500 – 700 pairs at the close of the 1984-88 survey. This was based on an estimated average density of three to four pairs per occupied tetrad, which attempted to allow for there being a wide variation between the number to be found in the largest blocks of deciduous woodland and lesser numbers in smaller areas of occupied suitable habitat. Since then Marsh Tit populations have declined both in the UK and across Europe, probably due to poor productivity and competition with other tit species.

The 2003-07 Pembrokeshire survey revealed a 16% decrease in distribution, compared to the BBS’s 12% decrease between the years of 2000 and 2005. The Pembrokeshire BAP Bird Survey of 2003 found a range of densities equivalent to 0.8–8 pairs per square km where this species was found.

Although the area covered was too small to be taken as representative of the county as a whole, it did illustrate that the approach resulting in the 1984-88 estimate was reasonably based. If the 16% decrease is applied to this estimate, it suggests a county breeding population of between 440 and 590 pairs at the end of 2007.

Graham Rees

Fieldwork 2003-07 (based on 490 tetrads) 

Red = breeding confirmed = 39

Orange = breeding probable = 72

Yellow = breeding possible = 34

Total tetrads in which registered = 145 (29.6%)

Marsh Tit - 1994

Breeding resident

Mathew (1894) described Marsh Tits as common residents which were very numerous around his home at Stone Hall, although it should be borne in mind that Willow Tits were not separated from Marsh Tits until 1897. Regarded by Lockley et al. (1949) as a "fairly common resident, even in the exposed west", today Marsh Tits breed in deciduous woodland throughout Pembrokeshire, and hence their distribution is patchy. They were twice found occupying old Willow Tit nest holes during the Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988, an ability that has permitted them to extend their range into willow and alder carr. An estimate of three to four pairs per tetrad in some woodland plots gives a probable total breeding population of about 500-700 pairs.

They usually seem not to wander far outside the breeding range, but have nevertheless reached the islands, with singles at Skomer on 8 November 1961 and 23-31 October 1989, and at Skokholm on 12 October 1988.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads) 

Red = breeding confirmed = 65

Orange = breeding probable = 61

Yellow = breeding possible = 46

Total tetrads in which registered = 172 (36%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire

Marsh Tit - 1970s breeding

Red = breeding confirmed

Orange = breeding probable

Yellow = breeding possible

Marsh Tit - 1980s winter atlas

The BTO winter atlas showed that Marsh Tits were present in the majority of 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 8 birds.

However, it should be noted that the figures show a high correlation with the number of recording cards returned (therefore related to recording effort) for each 10km square. 

Graham Rees

Marsh Tit - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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