Name of the bird:

Blue tit

Latin name:

Cyanistes caeruleus (before Parus caeruleus)

Condition:

Least concern

Scientific classification:

Animal Kingdom

Edge: Chordata

Class: Birds

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Paridae

Gender: Cyanists

Species: C. caeruleus

General information:

These are active and lively birds. They are welcomed by gardeners because they eat aphids.

Physical description:

Blue tit have a distinctive blue crown with white edges, with a narrow black stripe running through each eye. The cheeks are white. The underparts are bright yellow and the back is greyish. There is a white bar on the top of its blue wings. The tail is blue. The sexes are similar but the females are duller. The average length is 12 cm.

Diet:

Their diet is made up of invertebrates, seeds, and nuts.

Habitat:

The range is throughout Europe with the exception of northern Scandinavia. They are also present in northwestern Africa. Blue tit live in wooded areas, parks and gardens. They nest in tree hollows or nest boxes. Couples will return to the same holes each season, and when one couple dies, another couple will take over.

Reproduction:

The clutch size of the blue tit is 7 to 16 eggs that are white with reddish-brown markings. Incubation takes 12 to 13 days and is done only by the female, although the male will bring her food. The young are fed by both parents. Young blue tit leaves the nest before they can fly properly and are therefore vulnerable to predators (mainly cats). Those that survive are distinguished as young by their yellowish cheeks. The large size of the clutch is related to the high mortality.