Common Blue Tit - description, habitat

Under the azure tit is understood tit, the plumage of which is pigmented by a yellow-blue shade. These individuals are especially distributed in African and Asian countries, they also live in Europe. They choose exclusively deciduous or mixed forests for permanent residence, they like birches and oaks.

Description

1. These birds do not belong to the category of fearful, they often create different urban populations and are happy to live next to humans. They can let people get close enough to themselves and even eat from their hands.
2. By bird is meant a little titmouse with a short and strong beak. The tail is also shortened, as if cut off at the end. The blue tit is slightly inferior to big titmies in its overall characteristics, but at the same time it is considered a little more than a trowel. Along the length of the body, the individual grows up to 12 cm, this is with a weight of 12-15 grams.
3. The bird is distinguished by its colors. She has stripes pigmented in blue. They are dark, stretching from the beak to the eyes, after which they join at the back of the head. Also on the head there is a so-called blue-blue cap.
4. According to the external characteristics of these birds are quite beautiful. They have another blue strip in the neck. In appearance, it may seem that the bird is wearing a collar. The frontal part with whitish cheeks. Occipital region, wings, tail blue-blue.
5. The color of the birds may be different. The back is pigmented by a greenish color with an olive tinge. But because of the habitat, the back can be colored in different colors. In the lower part of the bird is yellow-green, with a dark stripe. Bill is black, legs are gray with gray.

Lifestyle

1. These individuals are quite common. In the wild, they prefer to dwell in mixed or deciduous forests. Also these birds live in urban conditions. They love to live in gardens, squares and various parks where people feed individuals. Birds quickly adapt, can build homes for posterity, even on a pole.
2. As for habitats, individuals are found in the open spaces of our country, in European countries (with the exception of Iceland), in Africa (its western part), as well as in Asian countries and the Canaries. Some experts classify these birds to a separate species, because in their behavior they differ from their counterparts.
3. Individuals of the family under discussion adapt fairly quickly to climate change. Birds feel great in subtropical regions, as well as in harsh environments. Birch forest belts, as well as a grove or an oak forest can be chosen from the habitats. Some birds live close to coniferous trees, but this is more likely an exception.
4. Blue tit is different not only in behavior, but also in an extraordinary way of life. Some flocks of these birds successfully exist in Siberia with cedar trees, as well as in Africa in deciduous forest belts. They even like palm trees, located along the road in the urban part.
5. If climatic conditions are hot enough and the air itself is arid, the azure will always choose a zone with proximity to water sources as a permanent habitat.The bird settles near the lakes, reed thickets, rivers.
6. The discussed species is characterized by a sedentary lifestyle, but there are also nomads. Those individuals that live in cold regions move to warm places during the wintering period. If the birds live in warmth, they do not need to move further south. Youngsters are inclined to fly, old people feel well in the same environment.
7. If we consider the aspect leading to migration, we cannot but touch upon the human factor. As always, people cause tremendous damage to the animal world. Feathered tribe was no exception. Deforestation, pollution of the nature, killing of birds and their mass catches - this and much more leads to migration and downsizing.
8. The considered individuals therefore try to adhere to such habitats. It is in the deciduous forests where the old trees are most present that a huge number of all sorts of larvae and similar food almost always lives.
9. Azureas prefer to feast on aphids, flies, caterpillars, butterflies, mosquitoes and a little less spiders. It is worth noting that the individuals in question are of great benefit to gardeners.Such birds destroy pests that cause great damage to summer residents.
10. In the warm season, birds find themselves food in large enough quantities without any labor. As for the cold, then in such a period, the individuals become uneasy. Often, birds in the winter time feed on deciduous plants and seeds of coniferous trees. Often, birds in search of food fly great distances.

Breeding

1. Individuals reach sexual maturity after 1 year of life. At this time the birds begin the mating season, couples form. During the mating games, the males begin to fill with beautiful and loud songs. They fluff the tail and start dancing in front of the female.
2. If the female responds with a song to a male, then the couple has already formed. After that, the males begin to jealously guard their home and darling. Often you can see skirmishes. In this case, the male begins to chase the outsiders.
3. The construction of a new home is exclusively for the female. Frequently individuals equip nests in hollows of trees. In this case, the procedure occurs at a sufficient height from the ground.Often you can see that the female is trying to expand the hollow. She pecks the bark with her beak.
4. As soon as the hollow is a suitable size, the female begins to bring feathers, branches, grass and moss into it. Separately, it is worth noting that finding the nests of the individuals in question is rather problematic in the forest.
5. As for the white azure tree, another subspecies of birds, their dwellings are so well disguised that it is impossible to see them. Often they have nests in the thickets of willow or reed. Moreover, even experienced ornithologists rarely cope with the detection of such birds.
6. After the specimens in question fully equip the nest, the female proceeds to vysedka offspring. In this case, the clutch can be a maximum of 12 eggs. Juveniles begin to spit on the light after only half a month. All this time, the male protects his family and brings food.
7. At this time, the male is very interesting to watch. If he suspects danger, the male begins to imitate the hiss of a snake or the buzzing of bees. Thus, the feathered scares predators from their territory. During the season, the couple reproduces 2 offspring.
8. At first, only the male is feeding the young.A week later, the female begins to connect to the procedure. Juveniles matures pretty quickly. In only 20-25 days, the chicks are on the wing and can independently feed themselves. Adult individuals remain faithful to each other throughout life.

Birds feel great in the cultivated landscapes, live in squares and gardens. People make them troughs, of which they gladly feed.

Video: azure tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)