Page 346 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

TITS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Paridae Species Parus caeruleus
Blue Tit greenish cap

bright blue cap,
surrounded by
white
white bars on
blue wings
dark line
through eye
dull yellow
underside
white cheeks
JUVENILE
MALE
narrow
black chin
IN FLIGHT
slightly less
blue than
male
pale yellow
underside with
thin, dark
central streak
blue tail (brightest
in spring male)
MALE FEMALE
ommon, noisy, colourful, and tame, the Blue Tit is a favourite
Cgarden bird, coming to feeders of all kinds. It also nests in boxes
in larger gardens, but is generally not very successful there as broods FLIGHT: fast, undulating over long distance; bursts
of young require prodigious numbers of caterpillars to thrive. of whirring wingbeats; sudden stop on perch.
Only large woodland areas provide sufficient supplies. AT NUT BASKET
Even there, in recent years, Blue Tits have had The Blue Tit uses its quick actions
reduced breeding success as the chicks hatch and surefootedness to dash in to
when food supplies have declined, caterpillars a peanut basket and hang, often
having appeared earlier due to climate change. upside down, to reach its food.
VOICE Thin, quick, tsee-tsee-tsee, harder tsee-see-
sit, scolding churrrrr; song trilled, slurred tsee-tsee-
tsee-tsisisisisisi.
NESTING Small, mossy cup, lined with hair and
feathers, in hole in tree or wall or nest box; 7–16
eggs; 1 brood;April–May.
FEEDING Takes many seeds, nuts, insects, and
spiders; visits garden feeders and bird-tables
frequently in large numbers.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Present almost throughout Europe
bold white COAL TIT no white except in N Scandinavia and
cheeks on see p.343 on cheeks Iceland, all year. In woods of all
black head
no blue kinds, parks, gardens, and bushy
bigger no blue places. In winter, quite often in
or yellow
reedbeds and even wandering
smaller
around edges of salt marshes.
GREAT TIT 32; GOLDCREST 32; Seen in the UK
see p.342 see p.337 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 11.5cm (4 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 17–20cm (6 1 ⁄2 –8in) Weight 9–12g ( 11 ⁄32 – 7 ⁄16oz)
Social Loose flocks Lifespan 2–3 years Status Secure
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