Great tit

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A great tit being held during a bird ringing session, Parus major
Great tits are the largest of the UK tits weighing 18 g and are a favourite in gardens and parks. Males of the species have slightly larger bodies than females.  Their striking appearance makes them easily recognisable. The main bulk of their feathers is green and yellow with a black head and white cheeks. In the UK there are 2,500,000 breeding territories making them have the green UK conservation status meaning they are under least threat. As all birds in the UK, they are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 which forbids intentional killing of the birds.

A great tit sitting of a branch of a tree. talgoxe_johan_n_611.jpg
By late January, great tits have found their monogamous pairing and have established their breeding territories. They defend their territories from the end of winter and reoccupy them each year even if one of the pair dies as long as the brood has been successfully raised. If the nest has been predated one year, the female will be likely to want to move to a new site. Great tits are mostly monogamous but it has been found that extra-pair copulations occur. The timing of breeding alters from year to year depending on a number of factors but is mostly down to location. In Europe, breeding tends to start after March but in Israel breeding begins as last as in October. Temperatures during the day and the amount of sunlight there is in a place affects the timing of breeding. Also, age has an influence as younger females start to lay later than elder ones. Like blue tits, great tits nest in holes of trees or rocks and sometimes even nest boxes. The female builds the nest out of plant material, grasses and feathers and once her clutch of 5-12 eggs is ready, she lays them in the nest. The female does all the incubation whilst the male brings her food. After 12-15 days the eggs hatch and the unfeathered hatchlings are born. Both parents then take on the role of feeding the chicks and after a further 16-22 days the chicks fledge and then after 8 days they are completely independent of their parents. Great tits that live in oakwood very rarely have second broods but those who live in pinewoods commonly do.

In winter when food is sparse it is vey likely that you would see a great tit on your garden bird feeder. Their usual diet consists of invertebrates, seeds and fruit.  Their populations have increased since the 1960s which has caused them to be common and have a wide spread range. They are currently not under threat as a species as their populations are stable despite the high mortality rates that juveniles face but this is probably down to predation when they are young or starvation.









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