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The great tit is a very familiar bird for residents of Eurasia and parts of Africa. In Russia, it lives in the Caucasus, Siberia and Amur Region. A great tit nests in deciduous plantations, next to ponds, and it can never be found in the coniferous forest. The bird is so unpretentious that it can be found both in the forest strip, on the plains, in parks, as well as in cities. The bird reaches for people due to lack of food. Only 20% of birds survive the winter.
How to recognize a tit
The average size of the great tit reaches 15 centimeters. A bird weighs about 20 grams. She can spread her wings by an average of 23 centimeters. Great tit is very beautiful. On her breast is a black strip, like a tie, which divides the abdomen into two halves of a lemon color. The back is shimmering in olive color, and the wings and tail are gray. The natural outfit complements the black beret on the crown, which is in good harmony with the white cheeks of the bird.
Males differ from females in a brighter outfit. Tits have a large head with a direct beak and a long tail. The plumage is soft and pleasant to the touch. The bird has strong legs with tenacious, rounded claws.
Why do many people know the tit
A tit is not a migratory bird. However, she gets closer to people when she has nothing to eat. As soon as the sun begins to warm in the month of February, the sonorous singing of a bird comes from the street. Light sound, reminds residents of cities of the approaching spring. Watching a bird move in the air, one can only admire how competently it acts with its body. The wingspan allows you to wave them a couple of times to soar upwards, then it falls down with a stone, while spending a minimum of energy.
From the life of a tit
Bird ration
Favorite delicacies of a bird are insects of different species. She loves bugs, caterpillars and does not disdain flies. The bird is in constant search of food. People feed the birds with pieces of fat, laying it on the windowsill of the apartment. The titmouse brings its benefit through the destruction of harmful insects.
Unlike other birds, the titmouse does not make stocks for the winter, which it suffers from in the winter, however, the bird likes to enjoy the stocks of others.
Tit breeding
It all starts in early spring, when birds form in pairs. After, the arrangement of the nest begins. For their children, they choose a hollow in a tree at a height of up to 5 meters. The nest is covered with feathers, animal hair and moss. From April to June, the female has a serious period for hatching. The female lays eggs twice, one brood can reach up to 12 eggs.
The eggs of the titmouse are white in red or brown spots. While the female is engaged in hatching chicks (the period lasts about two weeks), the head of the family provides her food. At the same time, couples strictly divide their territory to provide decent food for posterity. During this period, birds can be aggressive and fight for food even with their relatives. The territory for food search usually reaches 50 meters.
After the chicks hatch, the first three days, the bird gives all its motherly warmth to the children.At this time, the male is a food procurer, both for his girlfriend and the chicks that have appeared. The chicks feed consists of caterpillars no larger than 1 centimeter in size. One chick during the day can eat insects weighing up to 7 grams. After three days, the female joins the male, and they grow cubs for another 20 days.
After the children first left the nest, flight lessons begin. If the chick has learned to fly (it takes about a week), parents can continue to patronize their children and even feed. The second brood will be smaller than the first. After the birds have matured, they flock in flocks. Birds are grouped in the amount of 40-50 individuals. Often in the flock you can see representatives of other species, for example, landslides.
After 10 months, the chicks turn into sexually mature individuals.
Breeding captive birds
Tit in captivity is grown due to beautiful singing. The bird is easy to feed, so its content has its advantages. Bird singing in the spring is very beautiful, because at this moment the male invites the female. Tits are taught to sing canaries, whose oatmeal tune is much appreciated. If the bird is well looked after, then the tit easily gets used to captivity.
Tit is a very curious and cocky nature. And her predatory disposition can harm smaller birds. A bird can even crush a smaller bird if they are in the same cage. To prevent such embarrassment, the titmouse should be settled with larger birds, for example, a blackbird, nuthatch, or woodpecker.
How to contain a tit
Great tit in captivity can be fed soft food. For example, you can rub carrots, to finish there soft cottage cheese and soaked crackers. You can also feed with minced meat or minced fish, grated chicken egg. Dried insects and ants eggs are added to the feed. A treat for a tit is flour worms, which are preferably given every week. Hemp, sunflower seeds and pine nuts can also be included in the diet of the bird. Grain complementary foods may consist of cedar seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, but at the same time, everything is finely chopped and served in a separate cup.
The bird is very fond of water, but uses it not only for drinking, but also for swimming. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare two bowls, one with drinking water, the second for swimming. The bowl for “water procedures” should not be deep and small.
In order for the bird to breed outside of the wild, it is necessary to provide them with a separate room.
Interesting Facts
- Sintsa’s body temperature varies depending on the time of day, during the day it reaches 42 degrees, in the evening it can drop to 39.
- The heart rate can range from 500 to 1000 beats per second depending on the excitement.
- A bird can eat insects more than its weight. When feeding their chicks, they eat up to 1800 insects daily.
- The titmouse is so active and curious that it can be fed by hand.
- The beak of a tit can grow back as it wears. After all, it is with its beak that a bird can hatch a hollow, crack nuts and get the right insect from under the bark.
How many tits live
Great tit in the wild can live 1-3 years, with good care in captivity up to 15 years. In the cold season, a lot of individuals die due to lack of food. The strength of each person to help the bird survive in severe frosts. After all, a titmouse helps a person get rid of pests. For example, during feeding of chicks, tits can save about 40 trees and shrubs from pests. The great tit is a good nurse in the forest, park, and garden. After all, she can get under the bark of a tree in search of a harmful insect, where even a woodpecker with her skill cannot get.
Protect the environment!
Video: Great Tit (Parus major)
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