Meisen unterscheiden Cheatsheet

Images and brief info about song. A total of 5 species is included.

Stereotype melodic Simple rhythmic Simple rhythmic: slur Simple rhythmic: trill

Name/Image	Song mnemonic/description	Description
Stereotype melodic
*Long-tailed tit / Schwanzmeise (Aegithalos caudatus)* Herzige Schwanzmeise. 2025-01-10 14:59:26 Fehraltorf Profile	Diddly doot-doot-doot-doot General: Meistens hört man das Pfief...chk..chk..Pfief von den Rufen, siehe dort. Song: Nabu: Der Gesang ist ein feines Trillern und selten zu hören (someone at XenoCanto compares it to a blue tit trill). [Link] ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC572437 - Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus - song.mp3 (song)	Song: Song: high tsee-tsee; funny downhill trill Song: Song: Rapid, continuous, randomly composed sequence of bubbling,chirping sounds. [Link]
Simple rhythmic
*Great tit / Kohlmeise (Parus major)* Junge Kohlmeise, Bahnhofstrasse 53, Fehraltorf. 2024-06-13 13:53:49 Fehraltorf Profile	Said to have a repertoire as a species of 50 or more different songs, albeit simple ones, up to 10 per individual. Females prefer a male with a large repertoire. One two-note song sounds like a squeaky bed. ♫ 2025-03-30 13:41:00 Switzerland (call)	Song: Nabu: Die erste Vogelart, die wir im Jahr hören, ist meistens die Kohlmeise mit ihrem typischen Läuten: "Zip Zäh" oder "Zip zip Zäh". [NABU Experte Lars Lachmann bei Deutschlandfunk Nova] Song: Song highly variable, but usually consisting of two to three notes repeated in a motif. Same birds have many different motifs but generally repeat them many times before switching. Identified by its timbre and often metallic resonant quality, more than by actual phrasing (which is very variable). Often includes buzzing sounds in song. [Link]
Simple rhythmic: slur
*European crested tit / Haubenmeise (Lophophanes cristatus)* Haubenmeise am Stazersee bei St Mortiz hebt ab. 2023-02-05 15:48:04 Engadin Profile	Higher-pitched than great tit - how distinguish from coal tit, etc? ♫ 2025-09-06 11:13:00 Hirzli (call)	Song: Song: an improvisation over previously described calls. [Link]
*Coal tit / Tannenmeise (Periparus ater)* Tannenmeise auf dem Weg zu Stazersee, St Moritz. 2023-02-05 15:51:20 Engadin Profile	Higher-pitched than great tit, with more slurs instead of pure notes. Usually 2 or 3 notes in varied order. To me it seems they have a repertoire of songs, like their 'big brothers', the great tits. ♫ 2024-08-07 08:17:00 Thon, Schwanden (call)	Song: Song: Various repeated motifs, consisting of two to three notes with alternating accents. Slightly similar to Great Tit, but faster, not so metallic and with a less full tone. Can be mistaken for Marsh Tit when singing single or double notes, but tone is softer and notes more clearly separated (if disyllabic). [Link]
Simple rhythmic: trill
*Eurasian blue tit / Blaumeise (Cyanistes caeruleus)* Junge Blaumeise mit gelbem Gesicht, fehlender Kinnstreifen, graue Kopftonsur. 2021-07-19 08:33:44 Fehraltorf Profile	General: High-pitched, often descending (hhll), occasionally ascending. "Christina compares it to a ping-pong ball dropping. [In Januar singt die Kohlmeise als erster Vogel in Deutschland], dann kommt die Blaumeise dazu. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC555029 blaumeise.mp3 (song?)	Personal notes: In How to be a Bad Birdwatcher, Simon Barnes nicely explains hierarchies in feeding groups and how niches prevent blue tits from being starved by the larger, more dominant great tits. Normally they forage differently, he says, and at feeders it's simply clear to both that the great tit goes first. However in May 2021, we watched a blue tit repeatedly chase off a great tit that landed at the feeder where he was already enjoying some sunflower seeds! There are always exceptions to the rules! Song: Song: Characteristic, clear, high-pitched, vibrating call. Usually introduced by a couple of accenting syllables, followed by ringing vibrating notes: "ti ti chuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu". [Link]