Great Tit

It is not very unique to have a number of Great Tits in our garden, after all, there is a bird peanut-butter-pot and often something for them to eat. The Great Tit is one of the most common and well-known breeding birds in the Netherlands. It has a varied vocabulary of songs and is easily recognizable by its yellow body and black head. It is common in deciduous forests, but also in villages and towns. It eagerly uses additional feeding in winter, although in severe winters large mortality can occur. It broods from the end of April, has 1 or 2 clutches per year with 8-13 white (spotted with red) eggs. Great Tits are cave-breeders but they often use nest boxes and are sometimes completely dependent on them. Neighboring nests are sometimes located 3-4 meters away. The nest is made by the female and consists of grasses, moss, animal hair, wool and feathers. The female begins to breed when 8-10 eggs have been laid. Breeding duration is 13-15 days. Chicks are fed by both parents, and the young remain on the nest for 18-21 days. After they have flown out, they are fed for another 2-3 weeks. The Great Tits in Holland are resident birds and therefore hibernate in our country. In harsh winters, Great Tits from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe come to the Netherlands in large numbers. This autumn migration of hibernators takes place between mid-September and mid-November, the spring migration takes place almost imperceptibly between mid-February and mid-April.