When the tits come, spring is here.

A member of the tit family, usually nesting in tree cavities or between rock crevices and wall cavities. It is smaller in size than the common sparrow, with a short, pointed, tapered beak and strong tarsal toes.

It feeds on insects. The species can be identified by its longitudinal thorax, wing patch, crown feathers, face patch, and upper and lower body colour.

The Blue Tits is from Germany, also known as Blue-crowned Tits, is a common ornamental bird in Europe and can give the impression of being smug at feeding time. Blue Tits are not migratory birds and are mainly found in woodlands in temperate and subarctic Europe.

The Blue Tit is a yellow-breasted songbird with a loud song and a charming personality. It is one of the most common songbirds throughout Europe.

Blue tits may refer to several different species: the Eurasian blue tit, the African blue tit, or the sky blue tit. Blue Tits often compete with their similar Great Tits for food and nesting sites.

Here are a few aspects of the Blue Tits.

Morphological features

The blue tit has a blue crest, a blue line between the eyes, a dark straight stripe on the breast, a white forehead, and a white interstice on both wings.

These birds are usually about 12 cm long from head to tail and have a wingspan of about 17 cm. All three species look very similar, but the sky-blue tits tend to have whiter plumage around the breast and head, while the African tits tend to have yellow breasts.

Habitat

Blue tits live with great tits in winter and prefer to perch on young branches. Blue tits will often hop upwards on tree trunks like the whirligig family.

They will perch on ivy or evergreen plants but will take refuge in holes during lousy weather. Blue tits are flexible and can hang pretty much anywhere.

Blue tits sing all year round, the most frequent period being February to June.

Diet: Blue tits will hunt pests but are not exactly a beneficial species. They like to eat buds from different trees and will pull them out to attract insects. No other species prey on more aphids than the Blue Tits. They will eat leaf miners and leaf rollers, as well as seeds. 

The blue tit is an omnivorous bird and spends much time foraging on the ground or in trees.

It can hang upside down from almost anything to get food.

The blue tit feeds mainly on insects and spiders.

Blue tits are considered to be excellent pest controllers because of their small size and ability to consume insects.

Blue tits are mainly preyed upon by cats and sparrowhawks.

In spring, squirrels and weasels also attack nests. Flocks of blue tits can mob predators and drive them away.

Growth and breeding

Blue tits can live in a variety of nesting sites.

Blue tits can nest in many tree holes, wall holes, stumps, or nest boxes and compete with house sparrows or great tits for nesting sites.

Blue tits return to the same cavity every year. When the Blue Tits die, another pair will occupy the nest.

Blue tit males will keep a close eye on their chicks. They will protect the eggs by raising their chests, but they are not angry, they are excited, as they display the same posture when courting.

They build their nests of moss, wool, and feathers and lay their eggs in April or May each year.