Tits (Paridae)
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
- Length
- 12 cm
- Weight
- 11 g
- Clutch
- 7–13 eggs
- Incubation
- 13–15 days
- Fledging
- 16–22 days
- Broods
- 1 per year
- Nest box
- 25 mm hole, 2–4 m up, facing north to east
Identification
- Blue cap, wings and tail
- Yellow underparts
- White cheeks with a dark eye-stripe
Scolding 'tser-err-err' and a high trilling song.
Diet and garden feeding
Caterpillars, aphids and spiders; seeds and nuts in winter.
- Best foods: Sunflower hearts, Peanuts (mesh feeder only), Suet.
- A pair needs around 10,000 caterpillars to raise one brood — native trees matter more than feeders in May.
Nesting
Hole in a tree or nest box lined with moss and feathers.
Blue Tits by country
England
Resident all year · nests April–June
Scotland
Resident all year · nests May–June
Wales
Resident all year · nests April–June
Northern Ireland
Resident all year · nests April–June
Ireland
Resident all year · nests April–June
Netherlands
Resident all year · nests April–June
Belgium
Resident all year · nests April–June
Germany
Resident all year · nests April–June
France
Resident all year · nests April–June
Denmark
Resident all year · nests April–June
Sweden
Resident all year · nests May–June
Norway
Resident all year · nests May–June
Finland
Resident all year · nests May–June
Spain
Resident all year · nests March–June
Portugal
Resident all year · nests March–June
Italy
Resident all year · nests March–June
Austria
Resident all year · nests April–June
Switzerland
Resident all year · nests April–June
Poland
Resident all year · nests April–June
Sources
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.