Great Tit, Latin name Parus major, (Linnaeus 1758).
Family: Tits - Paridae
This is UK’s largest tit, length: 14 to 15cm Wingspan: 22 to 25cm Weight: 16 to 22g
A widespread and common species throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and parts of central Asia.
Habitat: Dense to open deciduous and coniferous Woodlands, bushy hillsides and hedgerows; often seen in gardens and a frequent visitor on bird tables and feeders.
Parus major feeds more on the ground than other species of tits, lacking the agility of the smaller birds. When feeding the Great Tit can be aggressive towards other tits.
Feeding: Mainly feeds on Invertebrates, berries, and seeds, especially tree seeds in Autumn and winter time.
In the winter time, Great tits can be seen joining flocks of blue tits and other small birds venturing into gardens and the countryside for food.
Nest made of moss, leaves, feathers, and grass, takes advantage of premade holes in trees or man-made constructions, will also take advantage of nesting boxes.
Usually two broods are raised, first brood April to May and a second brood in the mid-summer months. Nests contain up to 12 eggs, incubated by the female for 12 to 15 days. The fledglings will leave the nest within 16 to 21 days.
All year-round resident throughout Europe except Iceland, some Great Tit’s migrate or roam hundreds of miles especially between September and November, returning in April.
Song: is extremely varied with “che-che-che“or “tea-cher,” “tea-cher,” “tea-cher,” calls also be confused with a chaffinch “chattering” call, other sounds “ti-tee” or a longer and cheerful “ti-ti-tee”
“seetoo”, “seetoo”, “seetoo”, is another calling sound this bird can make.
The female and a young male’s markings differ from an adult male bird, as both have a narrower width of the black stripe running down the breast plate (resembling a necktie) and on the underside of the body. The adult males will usually have a brighter coloured breast and always a wider black “necktie”.
In the images below you can see both sexes.