Eurasian blue tit

Blue upper part (wings, tail, head) and yellow belly. The cheeks are white with a narrow dark blue line starting at the base of the beak, passing through the eye and ending at the nape of the neck where it also has the same dark blue outline. The back has an olive green colour and this is generally the shade of very young individuals. Generally it is a blue ball of blue! The beak is small and of a pencil color shade, and so are the legs. The males are more shiny blue and yellow, especially in spring.

It is almost always heard first, as it keeps in touch with other members of her group by calling or even alerting when it sees a threatening animal (see also humans).

It has a distinctly European spread, reaching eastwards to Central Russia, the Caucasus region and Iran. It is also found in some areas of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, while it is absent from Cyprus.

It lives in a very wide variety of wooded areas or areas with scattered trees and tall shrubs, with optimal habitat in the deciduous forests of Europe (favoured by Oak and Beech), from sea level up to an altitude of 1500m (during breeding).

It does not migrate but moves up to 100 km between breeding and wintering areas (either altitudinally so it descends to lowland areas or by travelling a distance to change habitat).

The olive groves of Lesvos are really full of Eurasian blue tits and the rest of the island's forests, with a more sparse population in the natural pine forest. We will even see it in our gardens and yards, especially in winter.

• It feeds on small invertebrates (insects, spiders, etc.) and also less (outside of breeding) on fruits and seeds that it finds mainly on foliage.
• Its very strong legs make it an excellent acrobat: it hangs upside down even on one leg.
• It presents 8 different subspecies (races), with slight differences in colour.
• It nests in cavities it finds anywhere beyond tree trunks (in walls, public power clocks, pole lights, hollow iron beams, hanging baskets, etc.), where it carries soft materials (grasses, moss) and wool to form its nest.
• It most often lays 8-12 eggs, small, white with pink splashes that hatch for about 12 days. She then feeds the chicks in the nest for about 20 days before they are ready to fledge.
• The family stays together outside the nest and the parents teach the chicks to find food etc for at least another 2-3 weeks.
• Very often they will lay twice in a year (both in spring), depending on how early spring comes and the food available for the chicks.
•  In the deciduous forests of Central Europe, it is remarkable that the timing of when moth caterpillars show their peak (they are more numerous) in the trees is absolutely identical to the time when the chicks of each nest are at the age when they need the most food (9-12 days old).
• In Mediterranean regions, parents place freshly cut leaves of aromatic plants (e.g. wild mint) in an attempt to fight parasites (which attack both the babies and the wool that hosts them in the nest material)!