Great tit

As its name suggests, the great tit (Parus major) is the largest member of the tit family to be seen in the United Kingdom, where it is a common resident bird virtually everywhere except the Scottish northern and western isles. It is also widespread throughout Europe and much of Asia and North Africa.

The great tit is basically a woodland bird that has adapted to the presence of human habitation to become a regular garden visitor. It is notable for being an aggressive bird-table feeder that will fight off smaller birds.

Appearance and behaviour

Great tits are around 14 centimetres (5.5 inches) in length. Their colouring is similar to that of blue tits, with which they can be confused if not seen clearly. The head is black (as opposed to blue in the case of blue tits) but with prominent white patches on the cheeks. The top of the head is glossy in summer but less so in winter. The black extends down the throat on to the chest. In female great tits, this comprises a thin black stripe down the middle of an otherwise yellow front, but with males the stripe is much broader, especially on the belly. The upperparts are green and blue-grey and the wings are blue-grey with a white bar.

The great tit has quite a long tail, which is used for balance when hanging on to thin twigs, etc. The tail has white sides.

The great tit can also be mistaken for the blue tit in its actions on bird feeders and on the ground, where it hops. However, its flight is heavier and more undulating.

Great tits have a variety of calls and songs, including the familiar “teacher teacher” call and one that sounds a bit like “pretty polly”.

Breeding

Nest building can begin as early as April, in holes in trees, gaps in walls or in nest boxes. Moss and lichen forms the basic structure of a deep hollow which is then lined with soft hairs and feathers. The hen lays one egg a day until there are eight or ten, and only then does incubation begin. This is done entirely by the female great tit, who is fed at the nest by the male.

The nestlings hatch at around 14 days and have a voracious appetite for caterpillars, which are supplied by the parents. It has been observed that 500 feeding visits a day are common, rising to as many as 800 shortly before fledging.

Young great tits leave the nest at 16 to 21 days, but will perch nearby for several more days, still being fed by their parents. A second brood is unusual, but does happen occasionally in a season when food is plentiful.

Most great tits do not wander far from their nest site, although some migration happens in the most northerly areas of their range, when small flocks head south in the autumn.

Food for adult birds includes insects, slugs, snails, worms, seeds and fruit.

© John Welford