The Marsh Tit is distributed in most of Europe with a disjunct population in southern Siberia and north-east China. In the British Isles, it is not seen in Ireland or Scotland except for the south-east. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is found in damp deciduous woodlands and in parks or gardens where there are plenty of trees and cover.

There are a few features that distinguish the two species. The Marsh Tit does not have a pale panel on the wings, it has a glossier black cap (though this is not obvious in poor light), less buffy-brown on the flanks and it has a more slender neck.