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16

Eurasian Blue Tit

(Cyanistes [Parus] caeruleus)
German name(s): "Blaumeise"
Size: 11-12 cm; wing span 17.5-20 cm
Weight: 9-13 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Eurasian Blue Tit at Wikipedia (or Blaumeise at German Wikipedia ).

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "caeruleus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a soaking wet male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit - note the dark-blue cap (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2015]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit; the dull cap indicates that this may be a female (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2015]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female(?) Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit at a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2015]

Dorsal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2015]

Race "obscurus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2017]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire, England, September 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Watendlath, Lake District, Cumbria, England, September 2014]

Race "ogliastrae(?)"

ADULT

MALE

Near-lateral view of a male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2022]

Lateral view of a male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2017]

Lateral view of a male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit looking backwards (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Eurasian Blue Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2022]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female(?) Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

Lateral view of a female(?) Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Frontal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Frontal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit looking at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2015]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Borba, Borba, Alentejo, Portugal, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2016]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

View onto the upperparts of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit at take-off (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Eurasian Blue Tit; note the yellow fringe to the ear coverts (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Eurasian Blue Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a fledgling Eurasian Blue Tit begging for food (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Eurasian Blue Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, May 2022]

Two adult Eurasian Blue Tits feeding a juvenile (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a Eurasian Blue Tit feasting on pears (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, August 2015]

Near-lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit feasting on pears (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, August 2015]

Eurasian Blue Tits seem to be partial to fennel seeds (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2018]

Eurasian Blue Tits seem to be partial to fennel seeds (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2018]

Eurasian Blue Tit taking flesh from a broken acorn (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2016]

This Eurasian Blue Tit has caught a caterpillar (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Hmmmm - blackberry! (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Blue Tit approaching a feeder in an urban garden (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Often Eurasian Blue Tits can be seen hanging off the ball while feeding (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Eurasian Blue Tit and a Long-tailed Tit at a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Mob of Eurasian Blue Tits visiting bird feeders (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

bluetit_dw_20190324.m4a caeruleus
(Poland)
Pair Q&A © DW
bluetit_dw_20210312.m4a caeruleus
(Poland)
Territorial calls? © DW
bluetit_dw_20170109.m4a caeruleus
(Poland)
? © DW
bluetit_dw_20170210.mp3 caeruleus
(Poland)
? © DW
 
bluetit_jp_20220123.mp3 ogliastrae?
(Portugal)
Territorial calls? © JP
bluetit_jp_20200403.m4a ogliastrae?
(Portugal)
Territorial calls? © JP
bluetit_jp_20200412.m4a ogliastrae?
(Portugal)
Various © JP

More Eurasian Blue Tit sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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