What does a Great Tit look like?

The Great Tit is easily recognisable by its striking appearance, featuring a glossy black head and neck, bright white cheeks, and a vibrant yellow breast with a distinctive black stripe running down the middle. Its back is a greenish-blue, providing excellent camouflage among the foliage. This bird's size is slightly larger than a blue tit, making its bold coloration and larger stature key identifiers when observing them in UK gardens.

What does a Great Tit eat?

The Great Tit's diet is impressively varied, consisting mainly of insects and spiders during the warmer months, which provides them with the high protein necessary for breeding and growth. In autumn and winter, they switch to a diet of seeds and nuts, frequently visiting garden bird feeders for sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet. This adaptability in feeding habits allows them to thrive in a wide range of environments, including UK gardens.

Where do Great Tits live?

The Great Tit, a versatile and adaptable bird, thrives in a wide range of habitats across the UK, including woodlands, gardens, and parks. Its preference for deciduous or mixed woodlands, especially those with a high proportion of oak trees, is notable due to the abundance of caterpillars which form a significant part of its diet. Additionally, this bird is increasingly found in urban areas, taking advantage of bird feeders and nesting boxes provided in gardens.

What do Great Tits sound like?

The Great Tit's call is a distinctive two-syllable sound, often described as a cheerful "teacher-teacher" or "see-saw," which can vary in pitch and speed. This vocal bird also produces a range of other sounds, including a sharp "ink" alarm call. To identify it in your garden, listen for its varied repertoire, especially the classic "teacher" call that rings out in woodlands, parks, and gardens across the UK.