Eurasian Blue Tit Identification Guide

The Eurasian Blue Tit is immediately recognizable by its yellow and blue colors.

A blue cap, white face, black eye band, and black collar.

The yellow belly has a white median area containing a bluish to black spot, which can extend as a line.

The wings and tail are in blue and gray hues.

The female and young are a bit duller than the male. Here, a young one is observed.

Blue Tits sing aloft, perched in a tree, often hidden.

They produce sharp sounds that repeat.

Their song is not very melodious.

The song of the Eurasian Blue Tit starts with one to three high notes, followed by a rapid and ‘liquid’ trill. "tsui tssuissuissuissuissuissui"

A bird's trill is a rapid and prolonged succession of 2 notes. This term comes from the Italian "trillo" meaning "tremble".

Birds not only sing but also call to communicate.

For instance, the Eurasian Blue Tit produces an alarm call "tschèèr".

The Eurasian Blue Tit is often caught in acrobatics, hanging upside down at the ends of branches in search of food.

The breeding season for birds starts with nest building. This is called nest-making…

and continues until the fledging of the young.

A bird's nest is not its “house”. It is only used during the breeding season.

It’s the place for laying, incubating, and feeding chicks who stay until they are ready to fly.

At the start of spring, one can install nest boxes to provide them with nesting sites.

During winter, the nest boxes are no longer used for nesting.

They serve as overnight shelters to increase their survival chances.

Some even “reserve” their future breeding sites in advance.

It produces 1 to 2 clutches per year of 6-15 white eggs speckled with reddish-brown.

Its nest is made of twigs and moss, forming a small cup.

It sometimes incorporates scented herbs such as lavender or mint which prevent the growth of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

During the breeding season (from spring to autumn), it feeds on insects and larvae living on trees and shrubs.

As winter approaches, insects become scarce, so it then feeds on seeds.

During the cold season, one can hang fat balls which it enjoys hanging from.

Its short and powerful beak allows it to hammer at the shell or slice it open to peck at the seed.

It can be aggressive at the feeder: it fluffs up its cap and puffs out its plumage to intimidate competitors, sometimes larger than itself, like the Great Tit.

It can be sedentary. It is found all year round in the same environment because it withstands winter well.

It might also choose to migrate a short distance to a milder climate to find more food. This is the case with the Eurasian Blue Tit living in the mountains.

It may migrate to a territory where there is less competition.

It is found in deciduous woodlands (trees that lose their leaves in winter, like oak, beech, and birch).

It also frequents mixed forests (combinations of deciduous trees and conifers)

As well as parks and gardens.

It particularly enjoys oak forests.

It’s a cavity nester: it builds its nest in small cavities in trees, sometimes in cliffs, walls, gutters, or even in old mailboxes...

Ideally, it will find an entrance small enough to prevent larger competitors like the Great Tit from entering.

One can install nest boxes with an entrance hole of 26-27mm to prevent other species from entering.

The Eurasian Blue Tit is widespread throughout Europe, except in the Far North (northern Scandinavia and Iceland).