Bird of the week - Blue tit

Blue tits are among the commonest birds in my garden at any time of year.  They are looking at their best at the moment, just before the breeding season.  The males are more brightly coloured than the females but this can be difficult to tell unless they are in a pair.

Blue tits are woodland birds that have adapted very well to gardens, taking advantage of the increasing availability of bird food and nest boxes.  Although their natural diet is caterpillars, spiders and wild seeds they are very happy with peanuts, sunflower seeds and fat balls.  The population has increased steadily over recent decades, as shown in these data from BTO BirdTrends.

At this time of year blue tits are present in almost all gardens, as these data from BTO Garden BirdWatch show.

To listen to Chris Packham's BBC Tweet of the Day on blue tits click here.  Read more about blue tits on the BTO website here and here and on BTO BirdTrends here.

The blue tit is on the short list for voting for Britain's national bird - more information  here.  I voted for the wren!