Great Tit Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

The great tit is a common visitor to the urban garden bird feeder especially during winter months when other sources of food are hard to find. It is a visibly striking small bird with a blue/green back and yellow breast which is divided by a central black stripe.

It can be difficult to differentiate between the sexes as they look quite similar. However, that black stripe dividing the breast is more pronounced in males.

Great tits have a variety of calls but are easily recognised by its “teacher, teacher, teacher” call which is heard in woodlands during spring. They were in decline up until the 1960s in the UK.

However, great tit numbers have increased dramatically since then. Keep reading to find out more about this interesting and clever little bird.

How Long Does A Great Tit Live?

In the wild, the average lifespan of the great tit is around 3 years. They typically breed after they have reached sexual maturity at around the age of 1 year. 

There are exceptions to the lifespan of the great tit with some being recorded to have lived to around 10 and a half years according to ring records.

Great tits show a great deal of adaptability which is why their numbers have increased so dramatically. However, the population seems to have stabilised around 2010 and remained relatively constant ever since.

With around 2.4 million breeding pairs in the UK, the great tit is not considered to be threatened and is classed as least concern on the IUCN red list of endangered species.

How Fast Can A Great Tit Fly?

Great tits can fly at a top speed of around 29 kmh (17 mph) which is roughly the same as a slow house sparrow, or half the speed of a wood pigeon.

However, the great tit’s main predator, the sparrowhawk can reach speeds of up to 43 kmh (26 mph) when flying and this was the main reason for the decrease in great tit numbers up until the 1960s when many sparrowhawks died as a result of pesticide poisoning.

Are Great Tits Aggressive?

For such a small bird, the great tit can be very aggressive. Especially around a bird table when fighting with smaller tits for food. With that said, in winter when food is more scarce, great tits often team up with the smaller blue tit and other small birds to form large flocks that scan gardens and the countryside in search of food.

According to recent research, urban great tits are far more aggressive than their country cousins. The research concluded that this extra aggression contributed to the increase in numbers of these fascinating little birds.

What Is A Great Tit’s Habitat?

Great tits prefer woodlands or wooded areas, parks and gardens across the UK. However, they have also been found in hedgerows, on farmland and other open country sites as long as there are suitable scrubland plants for nesting, feeding and hiding from predators.

They eat mainly insects, caterpillars and spiders during the warmer spring and summer months. In winter they will eat seeds, nuts and in some cases they have been known to eat small hibernating bats.

They are also frequent visitors to garden bird feeders and it’s this adaptability that has contributed to their increased numbers and widespread population throughout the UK.

How Long Does It Take For A Great Tit To Build A Nest?

Great tits are cavity nesters which means they build their nests in holes in trees, nesting boxes or other similar places. The nest takes around 5 days to be completed to the females preferences and requirements.

The nest is lined with soft material consisting of feathers, hair, wool, moss and dried vegetation. It is formed in a cup shape and is large enough to house her brood of eggs.

Eggs

Let’s take a closer look at the great tit eggs including the time of year the eggs are laid, the quantity of eggs laid and how long they take to hatch.

When Do Great Tits Lay Eggs?

Great tits typically start to breed in March, the nests are found and lined towards the end of February or in early March. The hen will find the nest, line it with soft material and take up residence around the beginning of March.

She will then lay her eggs and incubate them on her own until they hatch. The male will provide her with food during this period.

How Many Eggs Does A Great Tit Lay?

The female will lay a clutch of between 6 to 12 eggs and she will incubate them on her own until they hatch. However, she is supported by her partner during this incubation period.

He will bring her food at regular intervals throughout the day. Including caterpillars, spiders and other insects and small invertebrates.

What Do Great Tit Eggs Look Like?

Great tit eggs are a smooth, glossy white colour covered with purple spots or freckles. The eggs are around 18 x 14 mm in size and a typical brood consists of around 8 eggs.

Great tit eggs are similar in size and colour to blue tit eggs. Except blue tit eggs tend to be slightly smaller and the spots or freckles are a slightly redder colour.

How Long Do Great Tit Eggs Take To Hatch?

Great tit eggs are incubated by the hen for a period of around 12 to 14 days. Once the chicks have been fledged, it is common for the adults to raise another brood in the same season.

With such a short incubation time and a short time until the young chicks fledge, many great tits go on to raise a second brood in the same year.

Chicks

Now let’s take a closer look at the chicks of the great tit and find out how many chicks they have, when the chicks open their eyes and when do the chicks fledge.

How Many Chicks Does A Great Tit Have?

Although it is common for great tits to lay as many as 12 eggs, it is extremely rare that all 12 will produce healthy chicks. In fact, out of a typical brood of 8 eggs, 2 will be infertile, and 4 chicks will be starved by the dominant activity of the 2 strongest chicks.

Which means all great tit chicks have a low chance of making it to maturity. Of the 8 eggs, 6 might hatch and produce healthy chicks. However, 2 of those chicks will typically bully their way into getting more food.

This leaves the other 4 chicks getting weaker and weaker as they don’t get the nutrients they need to grow and survive. There’s also a good chance that the parents have difficulty finding enough food especially in particularly wet or cold summers.

However, this harsh fact of life is common among bird species and a pair of adult great tits only need to rear 2 young in their entire lifetime to ensure the continued success of the species overall.

When Do Great Tit Chicks Open Their Eyes?

Great tit chicks are altricial which means they are born with their eyes closed. The chicks typically open their eyes around 8 to 9 days after hatching.

This is also true of the close relative of the great tit, the blue tit and means that the chicks are completely reliant on their parents for food and survival during their early life.

When Do Great Tit Chicks Fledge?

Great tit chicks fledge the nest around 15 to 21 days after hatching. Which means that the whole process from egg laying to the young chicks leaving the nest takes around 5 weeks in total.

This is why it is quite common for great tits to rear 2 broods in a single season. However, the parents have to work quite hard to raise their young which puts a lot of strain on them both.

They are active pretty much 24 hours a day 7 days a week feeding and caring for the eggs and young chicks.

SEE ALSO: Blue Tit vs Great Tit: Key Differences Explained

Frequently Asked Questions