The Great Tit (Parus major) is a common and widespread passerine bird in the Paridae family. It is found throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa. It is not migratory.

The Great Tit has a distinctive black head and neck, large white cheeks, olive upperparts and yellow underparts. Its wings are green to blue-grey with white wing-bars. The tail is blue-grey with white tips. Its beak is short and black. It grows to about 13 centimetres (5 inches) tall.

It mates for life, and both parents choose a territory. It nests in cavities, usually in a hole in a tree. The female lines the nest with moss, feathers, and grass. The female lays around 12 eggs and incubates them alone, but both parents raise the chicks (the baby birds). The eggs hatch after about 12-15 days.

Each chick, also called a nestling, is altricial when born, which means that it is featherless and helpless, but it will soon grow its feathers. The nestling stage is between 16-22 days. 

When the chick grows its feathers, it is called a fledgling. The fledgling stage is about 8 days. After 8 days, it is independent and can leave the nest. The parents continue to feed the chicks for about another 25 days.

The photographed fledgling still has its yellowish beak, before it turns black, so it is probably about one month old.

Location of photographs: Paris, France

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM