The Great Ti t
(Parus major) is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a
widespread and common species throughout Europe in any sort of woodland.
It is resident, and most Great Tits do not migrate. In the past this
species was considered a ring species with several subspecies covering a
wide distribution, but these have now been separated.
The Great Tit was originally described under its current binomial name
by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae. Its scientific
name is derived from the Latin parus "titmouse" and maior "larger".
Great Tits come in many races, but they fall into three groups. Great
Tits in temperate Europe and Asia are essentially green above and yellow
below. Great Tits in China, Korea, Japan and southeastern Russia are
green above and white or yellow-tinged white below, and Great Tits in
India and south-east Asia are grey above and whitish below.
Description
The Great Tit is easy to recognize, large in size at 14 cm, 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. Upper
parts 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.
Voice
It is, like other tits, a vocal bird, and has a large variety of
calls, of which the most familiar is a "teacher, teacher", also likened
to a squeaky wheelbarrow wheel. In the First Movement of Bruckner's 4th
Symphony several Great Tit songs are strung together in a very realistic
manner. Interestingly, Great Tits from the two south Asian groups of
races do not recognize the calls of the temperate Great Tits, and they
may be a separate species.
Distribution and habitat
Parus major cinereus, a subspecies occurring in Java, Indonesia
The Great Tit has a wide distribution across much of Eurasia. It is
found across all of Europe except for Iceland and northern Scandinavia,
and then across the Middle East, Northern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and
parts of central Asia as far as Japan. Another band of distribution
occurs through Iran into northern India into Southeastern Asia, whilst
another population lives in southern India. The species also occurs over
much of China, Korea and Japan, and in Indonesia down into Borneo and as
far as the Lesser Sundas.
The Great Tit was unsuccessfully introduced into the United States;
birds were set free near Cincinnati, Ohio between 1872 and 1874 but
failed to become established. Birds later introduced to the Almaty
Province in what is now Kazakhstan in 1960-61 and have become
established, although present status is unclear.
Behaviour
Great Tits will join winter tit flocks with other species.
Diet and feeding
Great Tits are primarily insectivores. They prefer protein rich
caterpillars during breeding season to feed their young.[6] A study
published in 2007 found that Great Tits helped to reduce caterpillar
damage in apple orchards by 50%.In England, Great Tits learned to break
the foil caps sealing bottles of milk that had been delivered to homes
to obtain the cream floating on top.
Breeding
Great Tits are cavity nesters, breeding in a hole that is usually
inside a tree, although occasionally in a wall, rock face, and they will
readily take to nest boxes. The number in the clutch is often very
large, but seven or eight white spotted red eggs are normal, with bigger
clutches being laid by two or even more hens. The bird is a close
sitter, hissing when disturbed.
The nestlings are unusual for altricial birds in having plumage
coloured with carotenoids similarly to their parents. In most species it
is dun-coloured to avoid predation. The nape is yellow and attracts the
attention of the parents by its ultraviolet reflectance. This may be to
make them easier to find in low light or a signal of fitness to win the
parents' attention. This patch turns white after the first moult at an
age of two months, and diminishes in size as the bird grows.
Relationship with humans
The Great Tit is a popular garden bird due to its acrobatic
performances when feeding on nuts or seed. Its willingness to move into
nest boxes has made it a valuable study subject in ornithology, and it
is one of the best studied birds in the world. |
