The Penduline Tit is not a tit at all, though it certainly looks like one. Adult Penduline Tits are very distinctive with their grey heads and bold black eye-masks, duller on the females, but the juveniles can be puzzlingly dull. They look basically all brown but their small size, tit-like manner and rounded greyish-brown heads should separate them from all small birds except juvenile Bearded Tits which are larger, longer-tailed and have heavily patterned wings.

Breeds and winters in and around reedbeds, ponds and ditches, nesting in nearby trees.

A very rare vagrant, mainly to the south coast. 98 records up to the end of 1995.

A widespread breeding bird of watersides in most of central and southern Europe. They are particularly numerous in parts of eastern Europe including Neusiedl (Austria), the Hortobagy (Hungary), Kopacki Rit (Croatia), Porto Lagos (Greece) and Lake Apolyont (Turkey) to name just a few good sites. They are spreading westwards and already breed at several sites in Denmark, Belgium and Holland, including Oostvaardersplassen, and are seen regularly in eastern France (eg. Lac Madine). They also breed at several sites in Sweden as far north as Kvismaren.

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