Blue tit (Parus caeruleus or Cyanistes caeruleus) is a small bird. When stretched out it measures 11 to 12 cm and is thus somewhat smaller than the great tit. Because of its small rounded head that it keeps tucked between its shoulders, its distinctive pattern and bright colors, and its lively nature, this tit is always a joy to observe.
We will recognise it by the blue cap, blue wings and blue tail without white feathers on the sides. Its belly and chest are yellow with a narrow black stripe down the middle of the belly. The blue tit's back is olive green, and the face is adorned by a dark, gray-blue line across the eyes, which continues into a collar. The male and female look very similar, but the female is usually somewhat duller in color. Young blue tits have a yellowish face, their tail, wings and cap are more greenish-blue.
When choosing a habitat, the blue tit is not fussy. Its only requirement is trees. We can observe it in deciduous and mixed forests with lush undergrowth, as well as in the cultural landscape crisscrossed with hedgerows, in gardens and in urban parks where we often encounter it.
The blue tit's curiosity has allowed it to exploit very different sources of food – they have even observed it drinking milk from a bottle. It is also one of the first birds to find seeds offered in feeders in our gardens in autumn. It is a diurnal species, which in the warm part of the year feeds mainly on small invertebrates and in this way helps reduce the damage that would be caused by the larvae of some insect species. Because the blue tit is a very common year-round species here, but in winter insects and other invertebrates are extremely hard to find, our little bird in the cold part of the year shifts to a vegetarian diet of seeds and fruits that are available at this time.
The blue tit nests between April and May, usually in a tree hollow or a hole in the wall. The female also likes to line the nest with moss, feathers and hair in a nesting box that people attach to trees. During the time the female is incubating, the male brings her food, and when the small white eggs, speckled with reddish-brown spots, hatch into chicks, both parents seek food for them.
