Long-tailed tit
Aegithalos caudatus
Habitat
The Long-tailed tit is found throughout Europe, with the exception of the high and arctic north. Its habitat includes deciduous forests, mixed forests, riverine forests, scrublands, wooded parks, thickets and gardens. This bird species likes areas with a well-developed shrub layer, rich undergrowth and some dead or dying trees.

Appearance


Diet
The Long-tailed tit feeds primarily on invertebrates. During autumn and winter, this bird species eats seeds, buds and peanuts.


Breeding
The breeding season occurs from mid-March through June.
A formed pair builds the domed nest together, consisting of moss, small blades of grass, cocoons of Insects and lichen. The inside of the nest is lined with feathers. The nest is located in a low thorn bush, in a tree fork or against a trunk.
The female lays 6 to 15 eggs and incubates them in 12 to 18 days. The male will bring her food during this period.
This species of bird often breeds cooperatively. This means that a pair will be assisted by 8 other Long-tailed tits (from failed breeding attempts) in caring for and protecting the chicks. After 14 to 18 days after hatching, the chicks fly out, remaining fed by the parents and helpers for at least another 14 days.
How will you help the Long-tailed tit?
The Long-tailed tit rarely breeds in a nest box, but you can certainly do something for this species of bird. During the winter, the Long-tailed tit finds few Insects, so this bird species eats seeds, buds and peanuts. You can help the Long-tailed tit by hanging and placing fat balls and other food with small seeds in the garden.



Eurasian blue tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Habitat
The Eurasian blue tit lives throughout Europe and in western and northern Anatolia. This bird species inhabits submontane deciduous, broadleaf and evergreen forests, thickets, scrublands, hedgerows, orchards, edges of agricultural areas, (urban) parks, gardens and lowland areas.



Appearance


Diet
The Eurasian blue tit feeds on invertebrates, fruits and seeds. The food supply depends largely on the season.


Breeding
The Eurasian blue tit adopts a monogamous and polygamous mating system. This bird species breeds territorially and solitary.
In the mating system, the male performs ‘butterfly display flights’ and ‘high display flights’ to impress the female. He will then start ‘dancing’. When the female approves of the ‘dance,’ she will approach the male and begin vibrating her wings.
The female makes a cup-shaped nest consisting of moss, dried grass, finer strips of bark, plant fibers, leaves, animal hair and feathers. The nest is located in the cavity of a tree, wall, post or nest box.
The female lays 7 to 13 eggs and incubates them in 12 to 16 days. During this period, the male provides food. After the eggs hatch, the pair will care for the chicks in the nest for 16 to 23 days. After fledging, they will be fed by the parents for another 14 to 21 days.
How will you help the Eurasian blue tit?
The Blue Tit makes frequent use of nest boxes. Therefore, you can hang a nesting box in your garden to help this bird species.
A nesting box of 12x12x22 cm is extremely suitable for this bird species. Because the Blue Tit is a small bird, an entrance opening of 28 mm will be sufficient. It is best to place the nest box at a height of 2 to 3 meters, with the entrance opening facing north, northeast or east.



Great tit
Parus major
Habitat
The Great tit is found throughout Europe. Its habitat consists of open deciduous and mixed forests, edges and clearings in dense forests, (urban) parks, orchards, gardens and farmland.



Appearance


Diet
The Great tit is an omnivore, meaning that this bird species eats both plant and animal matter.


Breeding
This bird species adopts a monogamous mating system during the breeding season. In the following breeding season, the pair bond may be formed again, provided both partners are still alive. Initially, the male will sing to attract a female. The female will look at the size of the belly line, as this indicates the vitality of the male. The male will check the whiteness of the female’s cheek patch. The whiter the cheek spot, the better her nest care is.
The breeding season takes place from late January through September. In the Netherlands, the Great tit starts breeding from the end of April. During the breeding season, the Great tit has its own territory. Sometimes pairs of Great tits nest close together so the birds can chase off enemies together.
The female builds the nest from plant fibers, grasses, moss, animal hair, wool and feathers. The nest is made in a hollow of a tree or in a nesting box.
The female lays 5 to 12 eggs per brood. Incubation will not begin until all eggs are laid. The female incubates the eggs over a period of 12 to 15 days. The male will provide the female with food. The chicks will be fed by both parents. The chicks will fledge after 16 to 22 days. There may be 2 broods during the breeding season.
How will you help the Great tit?
The Great tit prefers nest boxes rather than natural burrows. In some cases, the entire population even depends on the availability of nest boxes. The interior size of the nest box of 12x12x25 cm is extremely suitable for this bird species. The entrance opening with a diameter of 32 mm is sufficient for this bird species. It is best to hang the hive at a height of at least 2 m, with the entrance opening facing east. Moreover, you can provide a feeding table, because the Great tit is known to be a frequent visitor of feeding tables. This bird species likes fat, bread, cheese, household scraps, peanuts and sunflower seeds.


