Blue Tit - Parus caeruleus

Blue Tit

Parus caeruleus

Order : Passeriformes

Family : Paridae ;

Biometrics :

Size : 11 à 12 cm
Wingspan : 12 à 14 cm
Weight : 9 à 12 g

Longevity : 15 years

IUCN conservation status :

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Geographic range :

Synonyms : Blåmes (sv), Herrerillo común (es), Cinciarella (it), Blaumeise (al), Pimpelmees (nl), Blue Tit (en)

Physical description :
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.

Voice :
Sound from CD 'Tous les Oiseaux d'Europe' by Jean C. Roché by courtesy of Sittelle and CEBA. Blue Tit utters high-pitched, thin notes and trills 'tsee-tsee-see-chuchuchuch'. Calls are often soft and sibilant 'tsee-tsee...' or in excitement 'chirr-rr-rr'.

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.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Blue Tit is sedentary in its range. It lives in Europe, Middle East and North West Africa.

Behaviour : 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.

Flight : Blue Tit usually performs fluttering flight, suddenly 'stopping dead' on perch.
It performs short flights from tree to tree or in longer distances with undulating flight.

Reproduction-nesting : 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.

Food 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.

Protection / threats : Blue Tit populations declined in the last 40 years, because habitat loss of many woodlands. They also are threatened by harsh winters.
Blue Tit has some nest predators, such as squirrels and woodpeckers.
However, this species is common and widespread throughout its range.

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife