- Parus major
Identification
The largest European tit - yellow and green with a glossy black head and white cheeks. The occasional bird is much greyer than the typical one, and need to be compared carefully to Coal Tit
Similar Species
Coal Tit has two wing bars, different shape to the white spot on rear head/nape, and looks larger headed.
Distribution
Europe and north Africa through all of Asia, India and Sri Lanka to Japan and south to parts of Indonesia.
Taxonomy
Polytypic. Consists of about 32 subspecies.
These have been proposed for splitting into three species: Great Tit with 12 subspecies, Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) with 14 subspecies, and Japanese Tit (Parus minor) with 8 subspecies. Only the IOC list have accepted these changes, Opus awaits a position from the other major checklists.
Subspecies[1]
Great Tit
- P. m. newtoni: in the British Isles
- P. m. major: Europe to north-western Iran, Siberia, Lake Baikal, Altai and Sayan mountains
- P. m. kapustini: North-western China (north-western Xinjiang) to Mongolia and eastern Siberia
- P. m. corsus: Iberian Peninsula and Corsica
- P. m. mallorcae: Balearic Islands
- P. m. ecki: Sardinia
- P. m. excelsus: North-western Africa (Morocco to Tunisia)
- P. m. aphrodite: Southern Italy, Sicily, southern Greece, Mediterranean islands and Cyprus
- P. m. niethammeri: Crete
- P. m. terraesanctae: North-western Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan
- P. m. blanfordi (karelini): Northern Iraq and Iran
- P. m. intermedius: North-eastern Iran and adjacent south-western Turkmenistan
Cinereous Tit
- P. m. cashmirensis: North-eastern Afghanistan to northern Pakistan and north-western India
- P. m. ziaratensis: Southern Afghanistan to northern Baluchistan and Pakistan
- P. m. decolorans: South-eastern Afghanistan (east of Kabul and south of the Hindu Kush)
- P. m. nipalensis: Northern India to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and western Myanmar
- P. m. vauriei: Eastern Assam (Lakhimpur district) and eastern Arunachal Pradesh
- P. m. stupae: Central and peninsular India
- P. m. mahrattarum: South-western India (Kerala) and Sri Lanka
- P. m. templorum: North-eastern Thailand to southern Laos and southern Vietnam
- P. m. hainanus: Hainan (southern China)
- P. m. ambiguus: South-eastern Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Malaya and Sumatra
- P. m. cinereus: Java and western Lesser Sundas
- P. m. sarawacensis: Borneo (western Sarawak)
Japanese Tit
- P. m. minor: South-eastern Russia to Japan, Korea, south-western China and eastern Tibet
- P. m. tibetanus: South-western China to south-eastern Tibet; single record from Sikkim
- P. m. subtibetanus: Southern China to south-eastern Tibet and north-western Myanmar
- P. m. nubicolus: South-eastern Myanmar to northern Thailand, northern Laos and extreme western Tonkin
- P. m. dageletensis: Ullung Island (South Korea)
- P. m. amamiensis: Northern Ryukyu Islands (Amami-O-Shima and Tokuno-Shima)
- P. m. okinawae: Central Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa and Yagachi)
- P. m. nigriloris: Southern Ryukyu Islands (Ishigaki and Iriomote)
- P. m. commixtus: Southern China (south of the Yangtze) to Hong Kong and eastern Tonkin
Habitat
Parks, woodlands and gardens all over Europe
Behaviour
A woodland bird but nowadays a garden bird. Sometimes aggressive, fighting with other tits. In winter together with Blue Tits and other species
Frequent visitor to birdtables and seed-dispensers, thus well known. Bold, at times plain audacious, may take seed from outstretched hand
Breeding
Breeds in all kinds of woodland (incl. in desolate taiga in far N) and in immediate proximity of man in parks and gardens.
Nests in roomy nestbox, tree-hole (e.g. decayed fruit tree), air duct and even letterbox
Diet
Insects and seeds, suet, beech nuts etc.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Parus major (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Great Tit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Great_Tit
External Links
