Great Tit
(Parus major)
Great tits are very active little birds that are continually on the move They have distinctive black crowns, white cheeks and bright yellow fronts, with a black stripe down the centre (which is thicker in males than females). In the spring the males defend their territory by singing ‘teacher, teacher, teacher…’ from a prominent position in a tree.
Great tits are one of the commoner garden birds and can be found all year round. They are frequent visitors to garden feeders. They are also found in the local woods such as Killearn Glen and Kirkhouse Wood.
Fascinating fact:
Great tits don’t usually move more than a few kilometres from the place where they were born.
They first breed when one year old, and although they can live to over 10 years old, the majority won’t live more than a couple of years.
Apart from cats, the main predators are sparrowhawks. Chicks may also be taken from the nest by great spotted woodpeckers or pine martens.
Did you know
The blue tit (which is slightly smaller and has a blue top to its head) and the coal tit (which is smaller still, and has a cream coloured chest) are related species.