[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Paridae | [latin] Cyanistes caeruleus | [UK] Blue Tit | [FR] Mesange bleue | [DE] Blaumeise | [ES] Herrerillo Comun | [NL] Pimpelmees
Subspecies
| Genus | Species | subspecies | Breeding Range | Breeding Range 2 | Non Breeding Range |
Physical charateristics
The Blue tit adult has blue-green back and bright blue wings and tail. Underparts are bright yellow, with a dark dull median stripe. Head has bright blue crown, contrasting with white forehead, extending all around the head in a white stripe. A black eyeline begins at the base of the bill, trough the eyes. Cheeks are white. Chin is black, descending under the white cheeks and extending to the nape, turning dark blue. Blue Tit has conical, small, pointed blue-grey bill. Eyes are black. Legs and feet are blue. Both sexes are similar, with female slightly duller than male. Juvenile has pale yellow cheeks, with dull yellowier plumage than adult. They have greener wing coverts and dull bluish crown.
Blue Tit feeds high in trees, and sometimes, it forages on the ground. It is an extremely active bird, and it is so light that it can search food at the tip of thinnest twigs. It is a clever feeder. It may held food firmly whit one foot when necessary, so it is able to eat hard nuts and seeds, pecking into them with the bill, giving sharp stabs. It examines each twig and leaf, advancing in small rapid hops, and perching or hanging upside down, while is flicking wings and tail, and calling.
Blue Tit is lively and aggressive, performing quick and jerky actions. They are noisy birds, but also sociable and inquisitive.
Courtship displays include flights from top of tree, male flying with well stretched wings. Male also perches close to female with erect crest, semi-open dropping wings, and with strong quivering. Male also performs courtship feeding, offering food to female which begs as a young bird with shivering wings. To attract female to the nest site, male performs slow glides towards the nest, to invite female to see it.
Blue Tit is sedentary, but some populations perform movements southwards in winter.
Blue Tit roosts in ivy or evergreens, but it may shelter in a hole in hard weather.
Blue Tit feeds high in trees, and sometimes, it forages on the ground. It is an extremely active bird, and it is so light that it can search food at the tip of thinnest twigs. It is a clever feeder. It may held food firmly whit one foot when necessary, so it is able to eat hard nuts and seeds, pecking into them with the bill, giving sharp stabs. It examines each twig and leaf, advancing in small rapid hops, and perching or hanging upside down, while is flicking wings and tail, and calling.
Blue Tit is lively and aggressive, performing quick and jerky actions. They are noisy birds, but also sociable and inquisitive.
Courtship displays include flights from top of tree, male flying with well stretched wings. Male also perches close to female with erect crest, semi-open dropping wings, and with strong quivering. Male also performs courtship feeding, offering food to female which begs as a young bird with shivering wings. To attract female to the nest site, male performs slow glides towards the nest, to invite female to see it.
Blue Tit is sedentary, but some populations perform movements southwards in winter.
Blue Tit roosts in ivy or evergreens, but it may shelter in a hole in hard weather.
Listen to the sound of Blue Tit
[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/B/Blue Tit.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
| wingspan min.: | 18 | cm | wingspan max.: | 21 | cm |
| size min.: | 10 | cm | size max.: | 12 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 13 | days | incubation max.: | 14 | days |
| fledging min.: | 17 | days | fledging max.: | 14 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 7 | ||
| eggs max.: | 14 |
Range
Eurasia : West, Central
Habitat
Blue Tit is mainly a woodland bird, especially where there are oaks and birches.
During winter, they are found feeding in reed beds, and more open places.
They frequent parks and gardens, where food is available.
During winter, they are found feeding in reed beds, and more open places.
They frequent parks and gardens, where food is available.
Reproduction
Blue Tit nests in hollows, holes in trees or stumps, walls, or crevices in a wall. It also nests in nest-boxes.
Female builds the cup-shaped nest, with a lot of materials, adding quantities of moss, wool, dried grasses and feathers. They often put these materials in a corner of the hole. Sometimes, male perches close to the nest, but female works alone.
In May, female lays 6 to 13 white eggs, finely spotted with reddish-brown. Incubation lasts about 12 to 17 days, by female. She is fed by male at nest during this period. Incubation starts before the last egg is laid, and before to incubate, she hides the eggs under nest materials.
Altricial chicks have short greyish-white down on head and back. They are fed by both parents. They fledge at about 16 to 22 days after hatching, and become independent 3 to 4 weeks later.
This species produces one or two broods per year.
Female builds the cup-shaped nest, with a lot of materials, adding quantities of moss, wool, dried grasses and feathers. They often put these materials in a corner of the hole. Sometimes, male perches close to the nest, but female works alone.
In May, female lays 6 to 13 white eggs, finely spotted with reddish-brown. Incubation lasts about 12 to 17 days, by female. She is fed by male at nest during this period. Incubation starts before the last egg is laid, and before to incubate, she hides the eggs under nest materials.
Altricial chicks have short greyish-white down on head and back. They are fed by both parents. They fledge at about 16 to 22 days after hatching, and become independent 3 to 4 weeks later.
This species produces one or two broods per year.
Feeding habits
Blue Tit feeds mainly on insects, larvae and green caterpillars, and also on spiders. They may consume fruits and buds, peanuts, nuts and seeds. They frequent bird feeders in winter.
Conservation
This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 10,000,000 km2. It has a large global population estimated to be 10,000,000 individuals (Snow and Perrins 1998). Global population trends have not been quantified, but there is evidence of a population increase (Snow and Perrins 1998), and so the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern
Parus caeruleus is a widespread resident across most of Europe, which constitutes
>75% of its global range. Its European breeding population is extremely large
(>20,000,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although there were slight
declines in France and Sweden during 1990-2000, populations were stable or
increasing across the rest of its European range, and the species remained stable
overall.
Parus caeruleus is a widespread resident across most of Europe, which constitutes
>75% of its global range. Its European breeding population is extremely large
(>20,000,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although there were slight
declines in France and Sweden during 1990-2000, populations were stable or
increasing across the rest of its European range, and the species remained stable
overall.
Migration
Basically resident, though over much of centre and north of range makes irregular eruptive movements, mainly to west and south. In southern areas mostly sedentary but makes altitudinal movements from highest breeding areas. Continental birds sometimes reach Britain in autumn, particularly but not exclusively in years of eruption.
Distribution map
