American Robin vs Great Tit
Turdus migratorius compared with Parus major
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Robin | Great Tit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Turdus migratorius | Parus major |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Turdidae | Paridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 14.0 cm (5.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 36.0 cm (14.2 in) | 24.0 cm (9.4 in) |
| Weight | 77.0 g (2.72 oz) | 18.0 g (0.63 oz) |
| Diet | Earthworms, insects, and fruit. Famously hunts earthworms on lawns by running, stopping, and tilting its … | Insects and spiders in summer, seeds and nuts in winter. A frequent and dominant visitor … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 3-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
American Robin
Lawns, parks, gardens, farmland, and forest edges. One of the most familiar birds in suburban North America.
Great Tit
Deciduous and mixed woodland, parks, gardens, and hedgerows. Readily uses nest boxes. Highly adaptable to human environments.
Song & Call Comparison
American Robin
A clear, caroling song of 2-3 note phrases: 'cheerily, cheer-up, cheerio'. Sings from dawn perches. Sharp 'tut-tut-tut' alarm call and thin 'seeee' flight note.
Great Tit
A repetitive, teacher-teacher 'tee-cher, tee-cher, tee-cher'. Also gives ringing 'pink-pink' alarm. Highly versatile singer; over 40 song variants recorded from a single male.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Robin
North America from Alaska and Canada to Mexico. Northern populations migrate south in winter; southern populations are largely resident.
Great Tit
Widespread across Europe and Asia from Britain to Japan, and south to North Africa and Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
American Robin
Great Tit
How to Tell Them Apart
American Robin
Dark grey-brown upperparts with a warm brick-red breast and belly. White eye-ring and streaked white throat. Female slightly paler.
Bright yellow bill with a dark tip
Great Tit
Blue-black head with white cheeks. Olive-green back, yellow underparts with a broad black central stripe. White wing bar and blue-grey tail.
Short, stout, dark bill
About These Birds
American Robin
The American robin is widely regarded as a harbinger of spring across North America. Despite its name, it is a true thrush unrelated to the European robin. American robins produce two to three broods per year and are among the earliest birds to sing in the morning chorus.
Great Tit
The great tit is the largest European tit and one of the most studied wild birds in the world. Research at Wytham Woods in Oxford has monitored great tit populations since the 1940s, contributing enormously to ecology and evolution. These innovative birds famously learned to open milk bottle tops in 20th-century Britain.