Bird of the Month - November

Bird of the Month - November

Published: 23rd October 2023

Bird of the Month – November – Great Tit

Scientific name: Parus major

This month’s bird, the Great Tit is a common garden bird that can be found across the UK, though native to parks and woodlands. They can be found across the country at all times of the year, but we’ve selected them for this month’s bird as their colourful plumage really stands out against the bare trees this time of the year.

 

Life Expectancy

Typically a Great Tit will live up to about 3 years but there has been  cases of some birds living up to 13 years.

Identification

Great tits are colourful birds, similar to the Blue Tit in it’s markings and colour patterns but notably green along  their backs leading into  grey wing and tail feathers.
Again, like the Blue Tit, Great Tits have black and white markings on their faces, but unlike the Blue Tit that has a predominately white face with a black marking running across, the Great Tit is mostly black across their whole head but with large white cheeks.

Females have a thin black stripe on their bellies. Males have a broad black stripe on their bellies. The males’ stripe can be an indicator of their status and fatherhood prospects. The wider the stripe, the more attractive the male will be to female suitors.

Measurements

Great Tits are the largest of the Tits, measuring on average of 14cm long, with a wingspan of about 24cm and weighing about 18g.

 

Voice

The double note song of the male great tit is possibly one of the most familiar sounds of spring in the UK countryside. 

Measurements

The average great tit can grow to an approximate length of 14cm, with an average wingspan of 24cm and weigh approximately 18g.

Breeding: 

Britain has approximately two million breeding pairs of great tits and they are both expanding in range and increasing in abundance.

Great tit breeding season begins in April/May, leading to pairs typically laying between six and twelve eggs per clutch, twice a year.

Interestingly, location can affect the amount of clutches a pair will have, in that those liking in oakwoods are very unlikely to have a second brood, whereas those living in pinewood are likely to.

The chicks will leave the nest after about 20 days from hatching. During this period the male will assist the female in feeding the chicks.

Nesting: 

As a result of increasingly milder winters, Great Tits are now considered non-migratory and rarely move far from where they hatch. They may, however, move away further from where they hatched if there is a fail in beech crop.

They can be found throughout the UK and Europe, but they are rarely seen in the Hebrides and Shetland isles.

Great tits can ordinarily be found nesting in small holes in trees and walls, and so they’ll happily take advantage of an available nest box if provided the opportunity.

The female constructs the nest with moss, some grass and other plant fibre. She will cover the base area and the add the nest cup, lining it with fur, wool, hair and other soft materials she may find.  

What they eat:

Great Tits have adapted to human intervention and are not shy of fighting off competition at bird tables and other garden feeding stations. They will use their size advantage to stake their claim to food and nest boxes, chasing away other tits in gardens and close to food supplies.

To encourage these brightly coloured garden visitors to your feeders we suggest selecting feeds from our bird care departments that consist of the suet such as the packets or balls that can be added to hanging feeders and peanuts are great for providing a high level of protein that will help birds keep their energy levels high.

Please check the the packaging of the bird seed or feed for suitability before purchasing.

Bird Safety:

Please remember, that one of the commonest problems with local wildlife health issues in the UK is due to neglected and dirty feeders. We would like to ask that anyone wishing to assist in the feeding of wild birds makes sure to check and clean feeders regularly to help keep them safe and healthy. 

Looking for further advice?

Then why not pop into your local Scotsdales store today and speak with a  member of our knowledgeable team. We will be happy to assist in anyway we can with advice and guidance regarding the best options for birds in your garden. 

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