Bird Species Comparison: Eurasian Blue Tit vs Great Tit скачать в хорошем качестве

Bird Species Comparison: Eurasian Blue Tit vs Great Tit

In this video, we take a look at the differences between the blue tit and the great tit. Description The Eurasian blue tit and the great tit are small passerine birds on the tit family, Paridae. The blue tit is a small, attractive bird, easily recognizable by its blue and yellow plumage. It has a white face with a black eye mask and goatee. It is yellow-green above and pale yellow below with a black line down the belly. Its crown, wings, and tail are azure blue. The nape is a darker shade of blue with white below. Sexes are alike, but the female is duller overall. There are nine recognized subspecies. The great tit is a large distinctive species. Its plumage is mostly black, yellow, and olive green. It has a bluish-black crown and a black face with white cheeks and ear coverts. Its yellow breast is marked with a black stripe down the center much like the blue tit. The back is olive-green, and the tail is blue-grey. The wings are mostly blue-grey with green coverts and white wing bars. The female is duller than the male, and the young are similar to the female. There are 15 recognized subspecies. Fun fact: The yellow coloration in their plumage comes from carotene pigments in their caterpillar-rich diet. The more yellow-green caterpillars they consume, the yellower they become. Vocalizations: Call and song The contact call of the blue tit is a weak tzee tzee tzee. They also have an alarm call to warn other birds of the presence of raptors. Great tits are vocal birds with up to forty different vocalisations, including soft “chit” and “pit” single notes contact calls and loud tink alarm calls. A well-known territorial call is the two-note eueek eueek call that sounds like a squeaky wheel. Distribution and range Both species have a similar range across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Habitat Blue tits can be found in deciduous or mixed woodlands, thickets, farmlands with scattered trees, orchards, parks, and gardens. They are also common in cities, urban, and suburban areas. Great tits inhabit open deciduous woodlands, forests, and gardens. Diet and feeding habits Tits are primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of insects and other invertebrates. Caterpillars make up a large portion of the blue tit’s diet, and they are also important predators of pest species such as aphids and coccids. In cities and suburban areas, they have grown used to eating bread, fat, cheese, and other human foods. The diet of the great tit includes cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, bees, and wasps. They also feed on spiders, snails, and woodlice. Great tits are known to display considerable intelligence and insightful problem-solving abilities in the pursuit of food. Both blue tits and great tits take to plant foods such as seeds and fruit during winter when invertebrates become scarce. Nesting and breeding Eurasian blue tits nest in cavities such as tree-holes, or in the cracks or crevices of buildings and other human-made structures. They also readily accept nest boxes. Inside the cavity, the nest is a cup shape made of leaves, grass, bark, moss, and feathers. They typically use the same nest year after year. Blue tits fiercely defend the nest and are known to become aggressive toward potential intruders. Great tits are monogamous and territorial breeders, although extra-pair paternity is not uncommon. They are cavity nesters, typically nesting in trees, but sometimes in crevices along walls, rock faces, and even nest boxes. They line the nest with plant materials, grasses, moss, hair, and feathers. Females lay around twelve eggs on average but may lay as many as eighteen. The incubation period lasts up to 15 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and begin to fledge at around 22 days. Relationship with humans Blue tits are energetic birds and frequent visitors to suburban gardens and backyard feeders, where they delight observers with their acrobatic movements. Great tits are also popular garden birds that readily accept nest boxes, making them easy to observe and study. Both species are well adapted to human habitations and are common in urban areas. #avibirds #bird #birdwatching #eurasianbluetit #cyanistescaeruleus #greattit #parusmajor