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gymnast, acrobat, peanut inspector. all of the above, thank you.

Blue tit says

Bird 14 of 30 · video, 24:19

Blue tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

The garden favourite: blue cap, yellow breast, a feathered gymnast, and a gardener's friend for aphids.

  • Tiny, 10.9 g
  • Stays all year
  • Nest box with a hole
  • On a feeder or bird table
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About the blue tit

Marks and dots

Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.

From egg to adult

  1. Egg

    Eggsup to 15 eggs video, BTO agrees

    Hatch after13–14 daysBTOthe video says 15 days

  2. Chick in the nest

    In the nest forup to 21 days video, BTO agrees

  3. Young bird

    Noisy parties of young blue tits come out of the nest right through the summer, which is a delight to watch.

    Read about the young

  4. Adult

    Blue and yellow, small and compact

    Broods a year1 brood video, BTO agrees

BTO averages: 14 days incubating the eggs, then 19 days in the nest. Averages across nest records, so the figures above can differ a little.

At the table

  • peanuts
  • aphids, caterpillars and grubs

A feathered gymnast that tries every possible food source, and clever with it. At a bird table, peanuts are a particular favourite. For organic gardeners it is a must: it scoops up aphids, caterpillars and grubs to feed its young.

This page mentions bird tables. Since April 2026 the RSPB and the BTO advise against them, and say to feed seeds and peanuts only from November to April. What changed, and why.

Through the year

Aroundmonths you can see it
AroundYou can see the blue tit all year round. That is what the video says.Worth knowingNoisy young parties leave the nest (June to August). That is from the video.VisitingSmall roving bands in winter (December to February). That is from the video.VisitingSmall roving bands in winter (December to February). That is from the video.
First eggslaid, from the BTO
First eggsThe blue tit lays its first eggs between 12 April and 11 May, and on average the first egg comes on 26 April. These dates are from the BTO, the British Trust for Ornithology.Average first eggThe average first egg is laid on 26 April (BTO).
Chicks leavethe nest, worked out
Chicks leave the nestThe first chicks fly from the nest between 13 May and 15 June. We worked this out, it was not recorded: the BTO's first-egg dates, plus 13–14 days for the eggs to hatch and 18–21 days for the chicks to leave the nest.

Blue tit: around Jan to Dec; noisy young parties leave the nest, Jun to Aug; small roving bands in winter, Dec to Feb; first eggs laid 12 Apr to 11 May, average 26 Apr (BTO); first chicks leave the nest 13 May to 15 Jun (worked out from BTO).

What to know about the blue tit

Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.

The blue tit part of “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, 24:19 to 25:52. Press play and it runs in YouTube's own player, with its captions and controls. Nothing from YouTube loads until you do, and after that YouTube can see your address. Watch it on YouTube instead.

What to look for

One of the best known and most popular garden birds, and easy to recognise: blue and yellow plumage, and a small, compact shape.

checked, BTO video only

Male and female

The video does not compare the sexes. BTO says they are similar, with males slightly brighter on average.

BTO only

The young

Noisy parties of young blue tits come out of the nest right through the summer, which is a delight to watch.

video only

Song and call

The video does not describe the blue tit's song or call.

not in the video

Nest

Offer a nest box with a whole-front opening, the kind with a hole in the front, and blue tits will use it.

checked, BTO video only

Feeding

A feathered gymnast that tries every possible food source, and clever with it. At a bird table, peanuts are a particular favourite. For organic gardeners it is a must: it scoops up aphids, caterpillars and grubs to feed its young.

checked, BTO video only

Staying or leaving

In winter, blue tits often form small roving bands that look for food together with other birds their own size. Widespread, but it avoids inner-city areas, where sightings are much less frequent. BTO calls it a common resident.

checked, BTO BTO only video only

In the garden

Blue tits are prolific: a single brood a year, but a very large one.

checked, BTO

Sources and checks

Where every fact about the blue tit came from

20 claims about the blue tit: 7 checked, 8 from the video only,1 differ, 4 from a source only. How the grades work

Claim, in our wordsVideo timeGradeWhat the source says
The blue tit has blue and yellow plumage.24:22 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes distinctive blue-green and yellow plumage and a blue cap.
It is easily recognised, with a small, compact shape.24:29 video only
BTO says the sexes are similar but males are, on average, slightly brighter.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
The blue tit is a feathered gymnast that explores every possible food source, with considerable intelligence.24:32 video only
Blue tits feed at garden bird tables and feeders.24:43 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says blue tits regularly visit garden feeders.
Peanuts are a particular favourite at a bird table.24:46 video only
For organic gardening the blue tit is a must, scooping up aphids, caterpillars and grubs to feed its young.24:52 video only
Blue tits use nest boxes.25:02 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says blue tits use nest boxes.
The variety to offer is the whole-front box, the kind with a hole in the front.25:02 video only
One brood each year.video: 1 brood25:07 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 1 brood (2 exceptionally) (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 1
Laying up to 15 eggs.video: up to 15 eggs25:09 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 8–10 eggs (BTO typical)up to 15 sits between BTO's typical top (10) and the most BTO records (16)
As many as 10 of them will hatch.25:10 video only
Incubation takes 15 days.video: 15 days25:14differsBTO, read 2026-10-05: 13–14 days (BTO typical)outside BTO's typical range of 13–14, though inside the 12–16 BTO has observed
The chicks fly the nest before they are three weeks old.video: up to 21 days25:17 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 18–21 days (BTO typical)up to 21 sits between BTO's typical top (21) and the most BTO records (22.5)
Noisy parties of juvenile blue tits emerge throughout the summer months.25:19 video only
In winter blue tits often form small roving bands that look for food with other birds of a similar size.25:29 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says blue tits often form mixed flocks with other tits, especially in winter.
The blue tit is widespread but avoids inner-city areas, where sightings are much less frequent.25:37 video only
BTO calls the blue tit a common resident breeder, widespread everywhere in Britain and Ireland except the Northern Isles and parts of the Hebrides.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
Adult weight, from ringing records: 10.9 g, adult average.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: 10.9 g, adult average
Timing of the first clutch: first eggs laid around 26 Apr (12 Apr-11 May).source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: first eggs laid around 26 Apr (12 Apr-11 May)

Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the blue tit starts at 24:19.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the blue tit, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.

More birbs: 30 so far, and more to come

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