Great Tit
Parus major
Also known as: Mallerenga Carbonera, Tit Peckh
Habitat
Mid-canopy
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
16 g
About This Species
A bold, adaptable woodland and garden bird across Europe and parts of Asia, it forages actively through branches and readily visits feeders, particularly for sunflower seeds and peanuts. Its most recognisable sound is a bright, repetitive song, sung from late winter into spring as pairs establish territory. It nests in cavities, including nest boxes, so gardens with mature trees or boxes are a reliable place to watch it through the breeding season.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- It is a confident species around people and feeders, and a modest distance of a few metres is usually enough to watch it comfortably.
- In the UK it is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and comparable general bird protection law applies through much of its European and Asian range, so nest boxes and cavity nests should not be opened or disturbed while in use.
- Check nest boxes only outside the breeding season, and watch active nests from a distance.
LCAvesPasseriformesParidae
Seasonal Activity
11,832,590 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paridae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Mid-canopy
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 16 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.