A Chirpy Character- Blue Tit
Latin name: Cyanistes caeruleus
One of Britain's best loved birds and a welcome visitor to gardens up and down the country, the blue tit is a delightful looking bird that is commonly found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens and are found virtually everywhere in the UK.
A native and non-migratory bird, the blue tit possesses an eye-catching azure plumage on the head, a yellow breast and a green back. The face is white with a streak of black passing over the eye. They measure, on average, approximately 12cm with a wingspan of up to 18cm and a weight of 11g. Blue tits number around 15 million in the winter months and during breeding season there are approximately 3.6 million UK territories, meaning the species is under little threat in terms of numbers.
Blue tits are regular visitors to bird feeders and therefore enjoy feeding upon various seeds and vegetable-based food. However, their favoured food source are insects, caterpillars and spiders. The bird's unfathomable consumption of garden pests such as aphids has been well-documented, making the species a friend of gardeners everywhere. It is thought that no other species predates more on coccids and aphids, whilst pesky leaf miners are also known to be on the menu.
Oddly enough, blue tits have adapted and evolved the unusual ability to consume and successfully digest milk and cream, allowing them to survive in human-dominated landscapes and urban areas. They have been known to target milk vans and peck through the milk lids in order to obtain the cream underneath.
The blue tit lays its eggs during the spring months of April and May, and they are fiercely protective over them. They are also very territorial and emit their distinctive song all year round in a bid to protect their patch and also to attract a mate. Alarm calls are also regularly heard to warn of the presence of predatory birds such as the goshawk, sparrowhawk, and the buzzard.
Nests are also vulnerable to mammals such as red squirrels and weasels who will take and consume eggs indiscriminately.
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| Image courtesy of Steve Oakes |
One of Britain's best loved birds and a welcome visitor to gardens up and down the country, the blue tit is a delightful looking bird that is commonly found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens and are found virtually everywhere in the UK.
A native and non-migratory bird, the blue tit possesses an eye-catching azure plumage on the head, a yellow breast and a green back. The face is white with a streak of black passing over the eye. They measure, on average, approximately 12cm with a wingspan of up to 18cm and a weight of 11g. Blue tits number around 15 million in the winter months and during breeding season there are approximately 3.6 million UK territories, meaning the species is under little threat in terms of numbers.
Blue tits are regular visitors to bird feeders and therefore enjoy feeding upon various seeds and vegetable-based food. However, their favoured food source are insects, caterpillars and spiders. The bird's unfathomable consumption of garden pests such as aphids has been well-documented, making the species a friend of gardeners everywhere. It is thought that no other species predates more on coccids and aphids, whilst pesky leaf miners are also known to be on the menu.
Oddly enough, blue tits have adapted and evolved the unusual ability to consume and successfully digest milk and cream, allowing them to survive in human-dominated landscapes and urban areas. They have been known to target milk vans and peck through the milk lids in order to obtain the cream underneath.
The blue tit lays its eggs during the spring months of April and May, and they are fiercely protective over them. They are also very territorial and emit their distinctive song all year round in a bid to protect their patch and also to attract a mate. Alarm calls are also regularly heard to warn of the presence of predatory birds such as the goshawk, sparrowhawk, and the buzzard.
Nests are also vulnerable to mammals such as red squirrels and weasels who will take and consume eggs indiscriminately.
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