Vibrant Aves: Examining the Fascinating Lifestyle of One of Nature's Most Strikingly Beautiful Birds, the Great Tits
The Great Tit (Parus major), a popular bird among birdwatchers and scientists, is known for its vibrant colouration, distinctive song, and adaptability to various environments. Here's a guide on how to attract these feathered friends to your garden.
Great Tits can be found in woodlands, forests, hedgerows, scrublands, urban gardens, parks, and farmland with scattered trees. These medium-sized passerines, measuring 11.5 to 14 cm in length, with a wingspan of 18-20 cm, and weighing 16-21 grams, are omnivorous, with insects, caterpillars, and spiders as primary food sources in spring and summer. As autumn and winter approach, seeds, nuts, and berries become more significant in their diet.
To attract Great Tits to your garden, it is essential to provide the right food, safe nesting opportunities, and suitable feeding station placement.
Offer appropriate food: Great tits are insectivorous but also enjoy seeds and nuts. Using feeders that offer high-protein foods like suet or mealworms, as well as seeds and nuts, can attract them effectively.
Use nesting boxes with the correct entrance size: A nest box with an entrance hole about 28mm in diameter is ideal for great tits, providing them a safe place to breed. Position feeders and boxes strategically: Feeders should be placed in visible yet safe spots, possibly at least 10 feet away from dense shrubs to prevent pests from stealing food, and avoid window reflection collisions by following the ‘Rule of 3 or 30’ (placing feeders either within 3 feet or at least 30 feet away from windows).
Maintain cleanliness and hygiene of feeding stations: Regular cleaning prevents disease spread and encourages frequent visits. Include water sources: Bird baths with flowing or clean water attract birds by providing drinking and bathing opportunities. Create a habitat with native plants: Native plants support the insect populations that great tits feed on, making the garden naturally inviting. Provide perching spots and shelter: Integrating shrubs, trees, and bird-friendly garden ornaments that offer perches or shelter improves habitat suitability.
Habitat destruction, deforestation, expansion of urban areas, window strike in cities, and decreased insect populations due to pesticides are other threats to Great Tits. For nature photographers and conservationists, observing Great Tits in their natural form, without bands and tags, is a reminder of the need to preserve wild spaces in which species like the Great Tit can prosper naturally.
Great Tits are important for biodiversity and other wildlife, as they help maintain local ecosystems. They have a vital ecological role, both as predators and prey. They help gardeners and agriculturalists by consuming insects that can endanger crops, and each nest can feed thousands of caterpillars.
References:
[1] RSPB. (n.d.). Attracting Great Tits to your garden. Retrieved from https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/bird-food/attracting-great-tits-to-your-garden/
[2] Garden Myths. (2019, April 15). How to attract Great Tits to your garden. Retrieved from https://gardenmyths.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/how-to-attract-great-tits-to-your-garden/
[3] The Wildlife Trusts. (n.d.). Great Tit. Retrieved from https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/great-tit
[4] BBC Wildlife. (2019, May 14). How to attract Great Tits to your garden. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48126090
[5] The Great Tit Trust. (n.d.). Nest box specifications. Retrieved from https://www.greattittrust.org/nest-box-specifications/
- bird enthusiasts may entice Great Tits to their home-and-garden by offering a variety of high-protein foods like suet or mealworms, seeds, and nuts, and creating a clean and hygienic feeding station.
- To encourage Great Tits to breed in their garden, birdwatchers should consider providing a nesting box with an entrance hole of about 28mm in diameter, and position it strategically, away from dense shrubs and potentially harmful window reflections.
- By ensuring the availability of native plants that support insect populations, offering perching spots and shelter, and providing clean drinking and bathing water, lifestyle choices such as gardening can contribute to creating a bird-friendly home-and-garden that attracts and supports the thriving of Great Tits.
