Eurasian Blue Tit

Overview

The Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) is a small passerine bird belonging to the tit family. It is a widespread and common resident throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and parts of western Asia.

Identification

• Intensely blue crown with a dark blue line passing through the eye and encircling white cheeks, giving a distinctive appearance.
• White forehead and wing bar, with a yellowish-green back and sulphur-yellow underparts featuring a dark line down the abdomen.
• Small size, measuring 10.5–12 cm in length with a wingspan of 17.5–20 cm.
• Black bill, bluish-grey legs, and dark brown irises; sexes are similar but males have a brighter blue crown under ultraviolet light.

Habitat

This species inhabits deciduous or mixed woodlands, often with a high proportion of oak, and is also found in parks, gardens, and even town centres. It is a resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and parts of western Asia, typically non-migratory in its distribution.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of insects and spiders, supplemented by seeds and plant-based foods outside the breeding season. These birds exhibit acrobatic foraging behaviour, often hanging upside down from branches to search for food.

Did you know?

In the 1920s, blue tits in Britain learned to open traditional milk bottles with foil tops to access the cream underneath, demonstrating culturally transmitted learning.