great tit

Facts

Why not download our great tit fact sheet?

great tit fact sheet

Parus major

• Largest of the tits, averaging 14cm long
   
• Similar colouring to the blue tit, but with a black 'cap' and breast band
   
• A fairly raucous, metallic call – sounds like 'see-saw' or 'teacher-teacher' - click on the recording below to listen:
  

Where found

Deciduous and mixed woodland, hedges, gardens and parks.

When to look for

• A resident bird so it may be seen throughout the year
   
• Breeds between March and May, in most years producing two broods

Fabulous great tit facts

• Great tits are a common woodland bird throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia and parts of North Africa
  
  
• Feeding mostly on insects in the summer, they eat a wider range of foods in the winter
  
  
• They nest in cavities, usually a hole in a tree
  
  
• The female lays around twelve eggs and incubates them herself, although both parents raise the chicks
  
  
• Their nests are prone to raids by woodpeckers, squirrels and weasels
  
  
• Adult birds are sometimes hunted by sparrowhawks
  
  
• In winter they flock together with other tits and roam the countryside looking for food