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Garden birdsCommon resident

Parus major

Great Tit

Ireland’s largest tit. Its black head, white cheeks and bold stripe down a yellow belly give it a distinctive, neatly dressed appearance.

Recording:Vincent Ollivier · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Start close to home

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go
All year
Where to start
Gardens, wooded open spaces and feeding stations throughout Ireland.
What to do when you arrive
Pause beside park trees for repeated two-note calls, then scan middle branches. Confirm the black head, white cheeks and dark belly stripe.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes
01

How to identify it

Black head with white cheeks and a black stripe down the yellow belly. The stripe is usually broader on males.

02

Habitat

Woodland, farmland hedges, parks and gardens.

03

Behaviour

Bold and curious, feeding on insects, seeds and nuts. Its varied calls include a repeated two-note song in spring.

04

When to look

All year

05

Where to look

Gardens, wooded open spaces and feeding stations throughout Ireland.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗

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