The great tit has a wide distribution in the Palearctic region (BirdLife International, 2024). In Europe it is present throughout the continent, except for the far northern boreal zone in Russia (Keller et al., 2020). In Spain it is well distributed across the entire Iberian Peninsula, Ceuta, Melilla and the Balearic Islands, but it is absent from the Canary Islands (Remacha & Pérez-Tris in SEO/BirdLife, 2022). It is absent from extensive treeless areas such as the arid southeastern peninsula, the cropland areas of major river valleys, or the agricultural plains of the southern plateau.

In Madrid it can be considered a ubiquitous species, missing only from deforested areas in the south. It is always linked to wooded environments and urban parks, hence its wide distribution. However, its optimal habitats are broadleaf forests, and it is scarce in mountain pine forests (Díaz et al., 1994).

In the national park it is distributed across all forested areas, but three nuclei with higher abundances can be distinguished: the pine and oak woodlands northwest of the Morcuera pass; the gorges of the streams and the Manzanares River west of La Pedriza; and the oak and mixed forests in the northeasternmost part of the park.