The blue tit is a small, very showy-looking bird, which is a type of great tit. In the people it is also called “prince”. In size, the blue tit is slightly inferior to its relative, but in all other respects it is very similar to it. A person who does not have knowledge in ornithology will certainly not distinguish these two birds from each other.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Blue Tit
For the first time, the blue tit was described by Carl Linnaeus in the system of nature (10th edition) in 1758. He also gave the species the name Parus caeruleus, according to which the bird was considered just a subspecies of the great tit. In the early 2000s, on the basis of genetic studies by American ornithologists, blue tit was separated into a separate genus.
The common blue tit belongs to the order «Sparrow-like» and the «tit family». This family consists of 46 species found in the forests of Europe, Asia and Africa. In appearance, the blue tit is very similar to a sparrow, but with a very bright plumage color. The body length of an adult is about 13 cm, and the weight is no more than 13 g.
Video: Lazorevka
The difference between the common titmouse and its relatives – great tits is only in a smaller size. The blue tit has exactly the same belly and chest of yellow color, crown, back, tail and wings of a bluish-blue color with a greenish tint. There are also white feathers on the cheeks, and on the head of the bird mother nature & # 171; painted & # 187; a kind of black mask, reaching to the back of the head. The paws of the blue tit are gray, with very tenacious claws.
These birds do not have radical differences between males and females, except that males look a little brighter, especially in spring, during the mating season. In young animals, the color is also slightly duller, there is no blue cap on the head, the top of the head and cheeks are brownish-grayish, and the forehead and back of the head are pale yellow. The top of the calf is painted in more gray tones, with black and dark blue tints, but not too pronounced. The bottom of the body is yellowish or greenish-white.
An interesting fact: In captivity, blue tit can live up to 15 years, but in natural conditions their lifespan is much shorter – up to 5 years.
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Appearance and Features
Photo: What a blue tit looks like
The most important distinguishing feature of the blue tit from other birds is the bright blue tone of their plumage. The blue tit is a rather small bird with a short beak and tail, very similar to the tit, but much smaller in size. The color differs from other types of tits in a brighter blue color and a greenish tint. Another difference is that in addition to the black mask on the head, the blue tit has a dark blue stripe, similar to a collar, passing around the neck.
Otherwise, everything is identical to the color of great tits – white forehead and cheeks, bright blue tail and wings, olive-green back, greenish-yellow abdomen, black meek beak, small bluish-gray legs. Titmouse are very mobile and nimble birds, they fly very fast, wave-like, they often flap their wings. They constantly flit from branch to branch, they love to sit on the ends of thin branches, hanging upside down.
Interesting fact: The weight and structure of the whole body of blue tit helps it hang upside down not only on thin branches, but also on hanging earrings.
Lazorevkas are very fond of chirping and singing, and in this regard they are distinguished by a very rich repertoire. Their songs are two- and three-syllable calls, long trills, somewhat reminiscent of the sound of a silver bell, chirping. When communicating with each other, the birds make short sounds similar to “cit”, repeating them several times in a row in different tones.
Now you know what a blue tit bird looks like. Let's see where she lives.
Where does the blue tit live?
Photo: Lazorevka in Russia
In Europe, lazorevka lives in almost all countries except Iceland, Scotland (north), the Alps (highlands), the Balkans, the northern regions of Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula.
In Norway, the blue tit can be found in the north up to the 67th pair, in Finland and Sweden – up to the 65th parallel, on the western borders of Russia – up to the 62nd pair, in Bashkiria – up to the 58th pair. In the east, the blue tit lives in the forest-steppe zone of Southern Siberia, almost reaching the Irtysh River. In the south, it can be found in the Canary Islands, in northwestern Africa, in the northern part of Syria, Iraq and Sudan.
The ideal habitat of the blue tit is an old oak forest (oak forest), however, having very successfully chosen a fairly large area with different landscapes, the bird managed to adapt to a wide variety of conditions, the common feature of which is the obligatory presence of deciduous trees.
In Europe, blue tit prefer to live in deciduous or mixed forests, with a predominance of birch and oak. At the same time, they can be found both on the edges and in the depths of the forest, as well as parks, gardens, plantings, forest belts and even on wastelands. Titmouse also feel good in cities, forming numerous populations, not shunning people at all.
In northern Africa, blue tit is found in foothill broad-leaved oak forests, in cedar forests in Morocco and Libya, and in the oases of the Sahara. On the Canary Islands, the bird can be found in low-growing thickets of date palms and combs.
What does the blue tit eat?
Photo: Blue Tit
The diet of the blue tit is very diverse, like that of any other bird. At the same time, approximately 80% of all food is insects, their larvae and eggs, and the remaining 20% — various berries and fruits. In the summer, blue tit feed on various insects, which are found in large numbers on the leaves and branches of bushes and trees.
Interesting fact: In the UK, blue titmouse love to peck cream straight from milk bottles covered with foil caps. Because of this, the very old English tradition of milkmen leaving milk under the doors of regular customers' houses has finally disappeared.
Titmouse summer menu:
- moth ;
- spiders;
- aphids;
- codling caterpillars;
- worms;
- weevil beetles;
- flies;
- dragonflies;
- mosquitoes.
During the feeding of offspring, the number of insects eaten increases tenfold. Eating a lot of pests, the bird brings considerable benefits in helping gardeners to preserve the harvest of fruit trees.
Interesting fact: Tits do not catch insects in the air, but look for them only by branches, trunk and leaves, at the same time, they descend to the ground very rarely.
Autumn menu of blue tit:
- black elderberries;
- berries viburnum;
- rose hips;
- cedar and beech nuts;
- sunflower seeds;
- poppy seeds:
- hazel fruit.
The winter menu of tits is practically no different from the autumn one, but since there is less and less food closer to spring, the birds diligently look for insects hibernating in tree bark in winter. In cities and other settlements in winter, titmouse have a more varied menu, due to the presence of landfills and open garbage containers, where there is always something to profit from, and also due to the fact that people feed the birds.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: blue tit in the forest
In the southern and central parts of their habitats, blue tit is predominantly sedentary, while in the northern regions they migrate to the west or south during the winter. The seasonal migrations of these birds are irregular and depend mainly on the weather and the availability of food. Young birds migrate more readily than older ones.
During the mating season, blue tit usually stay in pairs, sometimes straying into flocks with other species of tits, pikas and kinglets. In spring and summer, pairs migrate to forests with older trees, where you can find a suitable hollow and build a nest in it. Pairs feed the chicks together, release them from the nest, and then break up until the next season.
As already mentioned, tits prefer to live in deciduous and mixed forests and almost never appear in coniferous ones, since there is much less food for them there. In autumn and winter, birds fly from place to place, and they can be found both in old or young forests and in the undergrowth. In the autumn-winter period, especially in severe frosts, titmouse unite in large common flocks with other subspecies of tits, and together the birds roam from place to place in search of suitable food. Such a combination in mixed flocks is quite justified from the point of view of survival in extreme cold and safety.
Interesting fact: In winter, when there is little food in nature, blue tit literally raid the feeders hung by compassionate bird lovers here and there. For example, in just one day, at least 200 tits can fly to a feeder hanging in the garden.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Blue tit bird
Male blue tit attract the attention of females demonstration of their flying abilities and songs. They suddenly and very quickly fly up, then fall sharply down, perform squatting dances, swagger. The formed couple then sing long and melodically.
For the nest of a pair of titmouse, hollows or voids in old trees, located high from the ground, are chosen. Both males and females take part in nest building. If the hollow is crowded, the blue tit can expand it with the help of a beak. In settlements, tits have learned to make their nests in lampposts, in crevices of brickwork, in road signs.
An interesting fact: For nesting, titmouse usually choose hollows, the hole diameter of which is not more than 3 .5 cm
Nest building starts in April and depending on the weather can take up to two weeks. The nest usually looks like a small bowl, the bottom of which is covered with grass, moss, down and wool. Nest litter is collected all over the area.
Interesting fact: It happens that titmouse, in search of materials for building a nest, fly into open windows of houses and tear off pieces of wallpaper or pick out window putty with their beaks.
Adult titmouse usually make two clutches in one season, and young birds lay eggs only once. The first laying falls at the beginning of May, the second – at the end of June. The number of eggs in a clutch can be different, depending on the age of the females and varies from 5 to 12 eggs. The eggs of blue titmouse are white with a brown speck. The female usually incubates and the male feeds her. Occasionally, the female may leave the nest for a short time. The incubation period usually lasts 16 days.
Newly hatched chicks are helpless and very voracious. The female sits in the nest, warming them, and the male feeds the whole family. If suddenly an unexpected guest approaches the nest, the blue tit zealously defend their home, making sounds like snake hissing or wasp buzzing. A week later, when the chicks get a little stronger, the female also begins to feed them. After 21 days, the chicks are ready to leave the nest and take care of themselves.
Natural enemies of titmouse
Photo: What the blue tit looks like
The natural enemies of the blue tit there can be both large birds of prey: owls, hawks, and smaller ones: starlings, jays. If the former catch the tits themselves, then the latter destroy their nests, feasting on chicks or eggs.
Also, small representatives of the weasel family can climb into the hollow to the blue tit: weasels. Larger members of the family, due to their size, cannot climb into the hollow, but they love to hunt for chicks that have just got out of the nest and have not yet learned how to fly well. Also, large rodents and squirrels destroy nests of blue tit, but only if the hole in the hollow is wide enough.
Bad weather can also be considered an enemy of tits. For example, if during the feeding of offspring (May, July) it constantly rains and the average daily temperature is very low, then it is difficult to find caterpillars as the main food for chicks, because they simply do not hatch from eggs, waiting for warmth. The lack of live food can subsequently threaten the death of the entire brood.
Also, parasites – fleas – are often found in the nests of birds. After the chicks leave the nest, adult titmouse can be heavily infested with them. There are so many fleas that this circumstance is a serious obstacle to creating a second clutch.
Population and species status
Photo: Lazorevka
At present, the population of blue tit in all habitats is very numerous. Ornithologists distinguish 14-16 subspecies of these birds, which are conventionally divided into two groups. The first group is called caeruleus. The habitats of these subspecies are in Europe and Asia. The second, less numerous group is called teneriffae and includes subspecies from the Canary Islands and North Africa.
Some ornithologists believe that the tits common in the Canary Islands should be identified as a separate species — Cyanistes teneriffae. The main argument is some differences in behavior and singing, as well as the fact that Eurasian birds do not respond at all to the calls of Canarian birds. However, a significant problem for the final separation is the subspecies C. c. ultramarinus, which lives in the north of the African continent. This species has intermediate characteristics between the Eurasian and Canarian populations.
In the east of the range, where the white tit is very common along with the common tit, there have been cases of hybridization between these species and even a hundred years ago ornithologists mistakenly considered hybrid individuals to be independent view. Ornithologists evaluate the blue tit as a species that tends to increase in numbers, which causes the least concern and does not require any conservation measures.
The tit is a useful bird that is a good helper for agriculture and forestry, destroying pests (caterpillars, aphids, etc.). In addition, unlike the representatives of the «Sparrow» the tit is not engaged in wrecking – it does not peck out berries, sunflowers, corn cobs and ears of grain crops.
