Great Tit

Great Tit
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae Genus: Parus Species: major
Binomial name
Parus major

The Great Tit, Parus major is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common throughout Europe and Asia in any sort of woodland. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate.

It is an easy tit to recognise, large in size, with a broad black line (broader in the male) down its otherwise yellow front. The neck and head are black with white cheeks and ear coverts. Upperparts are olive. It has a white wingbar and outer tail feathers. In young birds the black is replaced by brown, and the white by yellow.

It is, like other tits, a vocal bird, and has a large variety of calls, of which the most familiar is a "teacher", teacher".

Any hole will do for a nest, and it will readily take to artificial boxes. The number in the clutch is often very large, but seven or eight white eggs, spotted red, are normal, with bigger clutches being laid by two or even more hens. The bird is a close sitter, hissing when disturbed.

Like other tits, its food is insects, especially caterpillars when feeding young, and seeds. This is a common and popular European garden bird, due to its acrobatic performances when feeding on nuts or seed. It will join winter tit flocks with other species.