A colourful mix of blue, yellow, white and green makes the blue tit one of our most attractive and most recognisable garden visitors. In winter, family flocks join up with other tits as they search for food. A garden with four or five blue tits at a feeder at any one time may be feeding 20 or more.
Key ID Features:
A familiar bird in most gardens it is smaller and shorter tailed than Great Tit but bold for it's size.
Paler yellow underparts than Great Tit with thin blue central line which does not reach the neck.
A greenish back is surrounded by blue tail, wings, nape and head, brighter in spring.
A white face is broken by a dark eye stripe and a narrow black chin.
Single white wing bars can be seen in flight.
Juveniles are paler, version of adult. with yellow replacing the white areas.
Overview
Scientific name: Cyanistes or Parus caeruleus.
Family: Tits (Paridae)
Where to see them:
Blue tits are common in woodland, hedgerows, parks and gardens. They're widespread and found across the whole of the UK with the exception of some Scottish islands.
Seen in UK:
All year round.
What they eat
Insects, caterpillars, seeds and nuts.
Text (c) RSPB, used with permission
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Photographer: Tim Tapley
