Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
37.1041, -7.96419
Field Notes
Description:
The blue tit is usually 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long with a wingspan of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) for all genders, and weighs about 11 grams (0.39 oz).
The common blue tit has an azure blue crown and dark blue line passing through the eye, and encircling the white cheeks to the chin, giving the bird a very distinctive appearance. The forehead and a bar on the wing are white. The nape, wings and tail are blue; the back is yellowish green; the under parts mostly sulphur-yellow with a dark line down the abdomen. The bill is black, the legs bluish grey, and the irides dark brown. The sexes are similar, but under ultraviolet light, males have a brighter blue crown. Young Blue Tits are noticeably more yellow.
The yellowness of the tummy is indicative of the number of yellowy-green caterpillars eaten, due to high levels of carotene pigments in the diet.
This is a common and popular European garden bird, due to its perky acrobatic performances when feeding on nuts or suet. It swings beneath the holder, calling "tee, tee, tee" or a scolding "churr".
The song period lasts almost all the year round, but is most often heard during February to June.
Notes:
Chapim-azul (Portuguese)
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