naturegirl
New member
just for it has deep black head? B 
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why coal tit was named "coal" tit? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter naturegirl
- Start date
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I'm guessing because its the blackest/greyest tit in the UK
In the early days of mining, these small birds were used by miners to extract peanut sized pieces of coal from very narrow seams - hence the name 'Coal Tit'.
Possibly.
Possibly.
Andrew Whitehouse said:
Interesting: In German Great Tit has the name "Kohlmeise" what means Coal Tit. Otherwise Coal Tit has the name "Tannenmeise" what means Fir Tit. Both species have a black like coal cap so I assume they were named by the colour of their head.
Steve
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
Andrew Whitehouse said:
I was beginning to think it must be April 1st - then I saw possibly!!!
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Andrew!
Behave!!
Behave!!
jurek
Well-known member
hinnark said:
"Kohlmeise" means, of course, Cabbage Tit. It is named after cabbage-green back.
In Britain there were big influxes of tits in association with cold weather. Therefore, when tits appeared around houses in larger numbers, people knew it is time to warm their houses with coal.
(or possibly not
).
Botaurus
Well-known member
jurek said:"Kohlmeise" means, of course, Cabbage Tit. It is named after cabbage-green back.
In Britain there were big influxes of tits in association with cold weather. Therefore, when tits appeared around houses in larger numbers, people knew it is time to warm their houses with coal.
(or possibly not
Ummm... sorry.... not to complicate this even more...
But a english Coal Tit is a Parus ater , which germans refer to as Tannenmeise, whereas a german Kohlmeise is a Parus major, a Great Tit in english...
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Probably because people eat more cabbage in winter, this being a traditional winter vegetable- and Kohlmeise meaning: when lots of these birds arrive, it´ll get cold- so get your cabbage into the house, otherwise it will be frozen...Possibly...
But Kohlmeise is named after Kohle = Coal (not Kohl = cabbage)- so I think the naming after black head is the best explanation
Alastair Rae
London birder
A bird name translation site http://www.mumm.ac.be/~serge/birds lists Anser albifrons and Corvus corax with a "Kol" stem and only Parus major with "Kohl".
I remember once a chap in the Netherlands referring to "Kolgans". I thought he meant Branta leucopsis. My mistake but where's the coal on a whitefronted goose?
I remember once a chap in the Netherlands referring to "Kolgans". I thought he meant Branta leucopsis. My mistake but where's the coal on a whitefronted goose?
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Well,
I thought the dutch Kolgans referring to Anser albifrons really comes from the dutch for cabbage, as they also feed on that, and on rape (Brassica napus);
and Raven is "Kolk"rabe- i am not sure where that comes from as a Kolk in German is normally a place in a small river washed deeply out through the flowing water (hope that´s understandable?)
I thought the dutch Kolgans referring to Anser albifrons really comes from the dutch for cabbage, as they also feed on that, and on rape (Brassica napus);
and Raven is "Kolk"rabe- i am not sure where that comes from as a Kolk in German is normally a place in a small river washed deeply out through the flowing water (hope that´s understandable?)
Alastair Rae
London birder
Webster (1) gives an origin of the word "coal" from the High German & Old Norse kol "burning ember". So are there two meanings, one black and one orange? Could "kolgans" come from the orange bill of Anser anser or maybe flavirostris?Joern Lehmhus said:
(1) http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?coal
jurek
Well-known member
Well, I consulted my reference again :
It is a colloquial name, like "tit-mouse" or "Tom-tit" or "Jack-daw". Coal-tit comes actually from "col-tit" or colonel-tit. At the feeder, this brightly and contrastingly coloured bird chasing drab Willow and Marsh Tits resembled a military commander instructing it's subordinates.
As true as that Canary Islands are named after Canaries.
(possibly I am going too far)
:It is a colloquial name, like "tit-mouse" or "Tom-tit" or "Jack-daw". Coal-tit comes actually from "col-tit" or colonel-tit. At the feeder, this brightly and contrastingly coloured bird chasing drab Willow and Marsh Tits resembled a military commander instructing it's subordinates.
As true as that Canary Islands are named after Canaries.
(possibly I am going too far)
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Hey Alastair,
I checked the dutch "Kol" and it seems to come from coal, not from cabbage-
so I think an explanation for Kolgans may also be the black barring on the belly; no other grey goose has this to that extent.
Jörn
I checked the dutch "Kol" and it seems to come from coal, not from cabbage-
so I think an explanation for Kolgans may also be the black barring on the belly; no other grey goose has this to that extent.
Jörn
Millhaven8
Active member
Andrew Whitehouse said:
I run a solid fuel boiler - how many Coal Tits will it take to fill my 5cwt bunker.
WildlifeUKNature
New member
I don't think it would be possible to train such a small bird to pick bits of coal from coal seams, the pieces that a small tit could carry would be so small, that it wouldn't be financialy viable, even if was possible.
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