Perching Birds

Sombre Tit

Poecile lugubris

Paridae Low risk

The sombre tit (Poecile lugubris) is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Paridae, the "true" tits and chickadees. This species is found in southeast Europe and southwest Asia.

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In Türkiye

Seasonal status

Year-round

Recorded in Türkiye throughout the year.

Most records in April–July.

Where it stands out

GaziantepAdıyamanŞırnakMardinBatman

Provinces where it makes up the largest share of bird records.

Records by month

Adjusted for how many birdwatchers are out each month; the busiest month = 100%.

4,498 records from Türkiye · #177 of 634 species by number of records. Source: GBIF.org (October 2026). All birds of Türkiye

About

The sombre tit was first formally described as Parus lugubris in 1820 by the Dutch zoologist Temminck with its type locality given as "Dalmatia and Hungary". This species is now classified in the genus Poecile rather than Parus. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the sombre tit is sister to the white-browed tit (Poecile superciliosus).

The sombre tit is slightly smaller than a great tit (Parus major) with similar proportions, although in plumage it most resembles a willow tit (Poecile montanus) but it has a brownish to grey-black cap which extends further into the sides of the head with the off-white cheek patch being restricted to a narrow triangle by the larger bib. The head is often peaked when the bird is in an upright stance, unlike the willow tit. Compared to the sympatric marsh tit (P. palustris) the sombre tit has a proportionately longer tail. The juveniles are duller and tinged with brown than the adults.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)