Eurasian blue tit

It is a small and very agile passerine bird endowed with extraordinary intelligence that it uses to overcome any difficulties when looking for food or for banishing predators from its nest.

• Length: 10.5-12 cm.
• Wingspan: 18-20 cm.
• Plumage: Males and females are similar. The crown, wings and tail are cobalt blue like the top of the head, the rest of which is white with a black mask at the height of its eyes. Its upper part is greenish and its under part is sulphur yellow. The pointed black beak is very strong so that it can break up seed shells. Its short legs are grey-blue.
• Weight: approx. 12 g.

It is an insectivore and prefers aphids, larvae, spiders and small invertebrates it finds on trees, but during the winter it gladly feeds on seeds, berries and fruit and whatever it can find in the feeders man prepares for them. It can eat about half of its weight in food every day.

It nests in cavities, trees, walls or artificial nests.. It makes its nest with moss, wool, hair and feathers and, when possible, it reuses it every year. It lays 7-10 eggs with white shell speckled with dark spots between April and May, which it broods for about 15 days. Both parents take care of the chicks for 15-20 days.

It is very widespread throughout Europe. In Italy it is resident and nest-building. It prefers woods, but easily adapts to the city where it can be seen in parks and green areas, as occurs in Milan.

It has a rather well-structured song that can be heard all year long, and in particular from February to June.