Birdwatching - 3107 🐦

🦉 The willow tit (Poecile montanus)

• Poecile poikilis (Greek) an unidentified small bird mentioned in ancient texts
• montanus (lat .) : mōns, montis mountain, mountain range, montanus mountain

This small tit with its nondescript brown-grey plumage and black spot on the throat seems modest but extremely energetic. It is called "puffball" for its habit of fluffing up its feathers in the cold.

Her voice, or rather her calls, are hoarse and sharp, but in the spring she performs an unexpectedly melodic whistling song that sounds melancholic.
Unlike the great tit, the willow tit rarely settles in cities, preferring dense forests. However, in winter it willingly flies to feeders, where it behaves confidently and is even easily tamed to take treats from the hand.