Blue Tit
Blue Tit
Blue Tits are small birds with strong bills. One of the most noticeable features is the strong head pattern; the dark blue-black eyestripe and the brighter blue ‘skull cap’ are set against the white cheeks and forehead. The blue-green back becomes a brighter blue on the wings, while the underside is a bright lemon yellow. Although male Blue Tits are usually brighter in colour than the females, this difference is often not apparent in the field. Young Blue Tits are duller in appearance than the adults and have pale yellow, rather than white, cheeks.
Although adults will feed themselves on sunflower hearts and other seeds, they need to find plenty of caterpillars for their growing youngsters. Parents are likely to collect these from near-by trees and garden shrubs.
Blue Tit young
Blue Tit eggs
Nesting Information
- Small nest box with 25mm hole (or larger)
- Height 1m to 5m above ground with clear flight path to entrance
- The nest is made of moss and lined with soft material such as hair.
- Egg-laying starts between late March and early June. One brood.
- 7 to 16 eggs White with speckling
- Incubation 13-14 days
- Nestlings fledge after 18 or 19 days.
More facts about this species
For more information about Blue Tits, see the BTO’s BirdFacts and Wider Countryside Report.
