Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Snow D.W. (1955) Geographical variation of the Coal Tit, Parus ater L. ARDEA 43 (4): 195-226
The geographical variation of the Coal Tit, Parus ater, is described, and related where possible to environmental factors. Size is correlated with winter temperature, but there is a strong tendency for birds from low latitudes to be larger than those from high latitudes, for equivalent winter temperatures. The tail is relatively long, and there is a slight tendency for the beak and tarsus to be short, in the coldest parts of the range. Colour varies clinally in relation to climate in the continuous northern populations, but in the isolated southern populations it is not related to any obvious environmental factor. An annotated subspecific classification is appended.


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