Great Tit Parus major   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae
BTO Codes: GT, GRETI EURING No: 14640
Number in Britain: 2 million territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: netwoni (R), major (RW) recorded in Britain (of 33 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 24 cm Weight: M/F: 18 g    
Scientific name from: L.: parus=a tit and L.: major=great
World Distribution: Europe, Asia, nw Africa
Habitat: Forest, woodland, towns, mangrove
Diet: Invertebrates (esp. butterflies, beetles) and spiders, winter, seeds and fruit
TitBit: The black stripe on the belly of a male Great Tit is an indicator of its status; larger stripes are more attractive to females.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
Abundance Maps: Population Density   Change in Density   Guide to Interpretation
British Population Size:
    Summer: 2 million territories in 2000
    First Record: Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times [Fossil evidence from Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: netwoni AMBER (Important Population), major GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
    Also common in: Villages
    And found in: Scrub, Arable Farmland, Pasture Farmland, Towns, Coniferous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries  and summary map from Time to Fly (in pop-up windows)
European Population Size:
    Summer: 36 to 76 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 18 x 14 mm Egg Weight: 1.7 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 2802
Clutch Size: 7 - 9 eggs 7.94 ± 1.86 (2 - 16) N = 3197
Incubation: 13- 15 days 13.85 ± 1.29 (12 - 16) N = 3197   by the: Female
Fledging: 18 - 21days 18.06 ± 1.96 (15 - 21.5) N = 5175 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 26 Apr (10 Apr - 17 May)
Number of Broods: 1(2)
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.542 ± 0.011    (M:0.583 ± 0.028; F:0.555 ± 0.034)      
Juvenile Survival: 0.380 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 13 years 11 months 5 days (set in 1990)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: A (pulli B)
Wing Length Adult: 75.0 ± 3.8     Range 62.0 - 87.0 mm, (N = 53986)
Juvenile: 74.5 ± 2.2     Range 62.0 - 87.0 mm, (N = 162839)
Male: 76.4 ± 4.7     Range 62.0 - 87.0 mm, (N = 27388)
Female: 73.5 ± 1.8     Range 62.0 - 87.0 mm, (N = 26096)
Weight Adult: 18.59 ± 2.78 Range 13.20 - 23.60 g , (N =42606)
Juvenile: 18.2 ± 1.3 Range 13.2 - 23.6 . , (N =140805)
Male: 19.09 ± 3.28 Range 13.20 - 23.60 g , (N =21527)
Female: 18.06 ± 2.05 Range 13.30 - 23.60 g , (N =20699)
Seasonal: Summer 18.72 ± 1.31 (N = 16540)   Autumn 18.94 ± 1.24 (N = 17321)   Winter 18.61 ± 1.24 (N = 78909)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

 
Gaelic: Currac-baintighearna Welsh: Titw Mawr
Danish: Musvit Dutch: Koolmees
Finnish: Talitiainen French: Mésange charbonničre
German: Kohlmeise Hungarian: Széncinege
Icelandic: Flotmeisa Irish: Meantán Mór
Italian: Cinciallegra Norwegian: Kjřttmeis
Polish: Bogatka Portuguese: Chapim-real
Spanish: Carbonero común Swedish: Talgoxe

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Perrins, C. 1979 British tits Collins, London [598.922 PER]
   Gosler, A. 1993 The great tit Hamlyn, London [598.933 GOS]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead