Cyanistes caeruleus - Blue Tit

Phylum: Chordata - Class: Aves - Order: Passeriformes - Family: Paridae

Identification - Distribution - Lifecycle - Food - Predators - Reference Sources

This lovely little tit is to be seen throughout the British Isles. It lives in woodland, hedgerows, urban gardens and even in marshland. We are grateful to ornithologist Ray Tipper for pointing out that a revision of the former scientific name Parus caeruleus has now been accepted by most authorities following a revision of the taxonomy of the tits. The British Ornithologists Union has adopted the new scientific name Cyanistes caeruleus.

If you set up a bird freeder in your garden, these are usually among the first birds to arrive. They are less timid than many other garden birds, and they are often found in the company of great tits, coal tits and marsh tits.

In Britain and Ireland, Blue Tits are resident birds, and so you will see them throughout the year.

Acknowledgements

This page includes pictures kindly contributed by the Countryside Council for Wales and Ray Tipper.