Blue Tit

Irish Name: Meantán gorm
Scientific name: Cyanistes caeruleus
Bird Family: Tits
green
Conservation status

Status

Common resident throughout Ireland. One of Ireland's top 20 most widespread garden birds.

Identification

A colourful, noisy, active little bird, commonly seen in gardens, especially at nut feeders and will use nestboxes. Bright blue crown, nape collar, wings and tail and yellow underside. The white cheeks are bordered by a dark blue line - the line through the eye is separated from the blue cap by a white band - all producing a distinctive head pattern. Bill is short and stubby, legs bluish-grey. Very acrobatic, often hangs upside-down on branches pecking at buds or foraging for insects. Regular visitor to peanut feeders and will use nestboxes. Occurs in woodland, farmland, gardens etc. Usually seen in small groups in winter and will team up with other tit species, Treecreepers and Goldcrests to form roving bands.

Voice

Song a clear, quite high-pitched "tsee-hee-he-hee…". Call a series of scolding chuckles, also many short twitters

Diet

Mainly small insects, but also seeds and will readily use peanut feeder and take scraps from bird table.

Breeding

Breeds throughout Ireland - prefers broad-leaved woodland, but also in farmland, parks and gardens. Nests in cavity in tree or wall. Occasionally chooses an unusual site such as a pipe or letterbox, but will readily use nestboxes.

Wintering

Largely resident.

Blog posts about this bird

Cape Clear Bird Observatory

Spread your wings with a stay at Cape Clear Bird Observatory in 2024

Think of an island of just under 6km² in size and you would be forgiven for believing that your options for things to see and do are limited. Yet, on making the crossing from Baltimore to Cape Clear Island in County Cork, you will pass through a portal to endless natural wonders. Take it from Steve Wing. 25 years since first moving to the island to take up the reins as Cape Clear Bird Observatory’s Wildlife Officer, he is still making discoveries. “There are all sorts of things to discover here. It is a great place to gain enjoyment and knowledge about any aspect of nature,” he said. “When it comes to the natural world, the learning is endless. If you take up birdwatching, you will by default start asking more questions. ‘What’s that moth or butterfly? ‘What’s the tree they’re feeding in?’ You want to follow on. The more you learn about one thing, the more you want to learn about another. We don’t just do birding here; we do all sorts of things. I’m still learning about moth identification, for example. That’s as much a lesson for me as anyone else.”  

Steve Wing

As the home of the Republic of Ireland’s only bird observatory and one of the best places in Europe to observe migratory seabirds and rarities, Cape Clear is a magnet for birdwatchers all around Ireland, and beyond. But what is it about this island that makes it such a haven for bird life? “It’s location, location, location basically,” Steve responded. Indeed, Cape Clear's remote island location on the southwestern coast and mild climate make it a hot spot for an abundance of species. Many of those who visit Cape Clear to birdwatch today are following in the footsteps of the “pioneers” who founded the Observatory, as Steve explained. On a visit to Cape Clear in 1959, a group of young birdwatchers from England discovered many rarities and noted the potential Cape Clear Island offered for observing bird migration. Owing to their enthusiasm and a subsequent anonymous donation, the wheels were set in motion for the establishment of the Bird Observatory we know today. In 2000, Cape Clear Bird Observatory came under the ownership of BirdWatch Ireland, just two years after Steve took up his post. You can read more about the history of Cape Clear here. Steve Wing Cape Clear Wildlife Officer in doorway of CCBO

Steve Wing Cape Clear Wildlife Officer in doorway of CCBO. Photo: Brian Caffrey

Steve’s work at Cape Clear varies, depending on the time of year. Between April and September, he is kept busy running his extremely popular “Wildlife Weekends” – short and interactive courses suitable for the beginner birder right up to the seasoned twitcher. “When I am doing the courses, I am 100 percent with the people from the minute I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Whatever I am doing, they will get a chance to do. I take them for walks, do some ringing with them and tell them more about birds and Cape Clear in general. You're not sitting in a classroom, you're walking and talking and learning all the time,” he explained. “Participants will learn how to identify birds by looking at things like bill shape, the size of the bird, the colour, what they’re feeding on and their location. They will learn some basic birdwatching knowledge and a little bit of fieldcraft, and, of course, get plenty of enjoyment. There is the social side to the weekend, too. Every evening, we go to the pub and discuss what has happened during the day. If people leave here happy, have had a good time and want to come back, it’s a success in my eyes.” In addition to Steve’s Wildlife Weekends, Cape Clear also plays host to the week-long “Seabirds to Songbirds” courses led by Dick Coombes. Through these courses, which will take place on two dates in 2024, participants will gain an insight into the world of migration and the joys of sea-watching.

Cory's Shearwater. Photo: Artie Kopelman

When the guests have packed their bags and set sail for the mainland, Steve returns to his work on the island. There’s no such thing as a typical day, however, as his activities tend to shift with the changing weather and seasons. In late summer and early autumn, he might sit on the cliffs and monitor the seabirds – an activity known as seawatching. If the weather is calm and there are birds around, he might open the nets to do some ringing. To date, approximately 23,000 individual birds have been ringed on Cape Clear, Steve said, adding that it is a job he feels extremely lucky to carry out. “It is a total privilege to be able to hold on to a bird and show people the topography of it, how the feathers work and why the bill shape liked that. It is a lot easier to see close up. To see the look of awe on kids’ faces when they see a Robin or Blue Tit is fantastic. They're amazed,” he said. “Ringing itself is wonderful always but it’s always nice to catch something that’s rare, like a Golden Oriole, for example. Anything you catch that you're not expecting to is a bonus.” Information gathered from ringing and monitoring work has taught us a lot about how bird populations are faring on the island. For example, as Steve explained, Herring Gull numbers on the island have declined dramatically in recent years, likely due to a combination of factors including overfishing. Meanwhile, Fulmar numbers have risen as many have taken over former Herring Gull breeding sites. “Song Thrushes seem to be doing incredibly well around here, whereas around most of the rest of Europe they are declining. Maybe it is the fact there aren’t so many pesticides being used here. We don’t know for sure,” continued Steve. “We seem to be getting more Mediterranean seabirds also. Last year, I had a record year for Cory Shearwaters for the whole south coast of Ireland. We had tens of thousands coming through.” Ringing also gives us information about migration routes. We now know that some of the birds recorded on Cape Clear have travelled a tremendous distance to be there. sedge-warbler-perched-on-willow

Sedge Warbler. Photo: Clive Timmons.

“I caught three adult Sedge Warblers in 2017 and up until three years ago, I was still catching two of the three when they returned to Cape after wintering in Gambia and Senegal. We did a very quick rough estimate on Google Maps and realised that these birds had pretty much done a circumnavigation of the planet in their lifetimes. It's an amazing feat for these tiny birds the size of Robins.” While Steve’s Wildlife Weekends are now fully booked for 2024 and only a limited number of places remain on the “Seabirds to Songbirds” courses, it is still possible to visit Cape Clear and experience the natural wonders that it holds. From April 8th, members of the public can take the boat from Baltimore and stay in the Bird Observatory’s self-catering style accommodation in shared dorms. For more information and to book, visit the BirdWatch Ireland website. Regardless of whether you visit Cape Clear for a course or on a self-guided trip, alone or with friends, you are sure to depart with additional knowledge and a renewed appreciation for Ireland’s bird life. “Capers say Ireland is the island off Cape and that this is the best place in Ireland to be. If you visit, you will learn a lot about the birds, you will learn more about the general art of birdwatching and hopefully, you will get to appreciate what a beautiful place Cape is. Come with an open mind. You are sure to learn something.” Find our more about and book a Cape Clear course in 2024.
Irish Garden Bird Survey

35th Irish Garden Bird Survey is ready to take flight

Birds inject a huge amount of joy into our lives, creating the soundtrack to spring mornings and brightening up our gardens on otherwise drab winter days. As we approach what is widely considered the “season of giving”, one surefire way to give back to the birds for all that they do for us is to participate in this year’s Irish Garden Bird Survey – the most popular and longest-running citizen science survey in Ireland.

35 years of the Irish Garden Bird Survey

Now in its 35th year, the Irish Garden Bird Survey grants people across the country the opportunity to serve as our eyes on the ground by observing and recording birds in their gardens, on school grounds, on their balconies, or within any other space they enjoy daily. All of this information gives us insight into how different species are faring and, in turn, helps us to identify current threats and future conservation priorities. blue-tit-perched-on-a-branch

Blue Tit. Photo: Brian Burke.

The Irish Garden Bird Survey is perhaps our most simple and inclusive survey, one in which people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels can play their part. In fact, it is so simple that, whether or not you have heard of the Irish Garden Bird Survey, it is likely that you are already doing the work. “The Irish Garden Bird Survey is something you can do with a cup of tea looking out the window. You can do it as you're washing the dishes or filling the kettle. People are always watching their garden birds during the winter anyway. That’s when the garden bird numbers peak. The birds are driven to gardens to look for food and people might be inside a lot more because the weather isn’t as good,” says Coordinator of the Irish Garden Bird Survey, Brian Burke. “As we always tell people, you are probably doing this anyway. We just are asking you to go that extra step by writing down and sending us what you see.” While participating in the Irish Garden Bird Survey does not take a lot of time or effort, the impact of the data collected by participants over the past 35 years has been huge. Thanks to them, we now know that Robins, Blackbirds and Blue Tits are the most common garden bird species in Ireland. We know that species such as Great Spotted Woodpecker are on the rise. We know that the breeding Greenfinch numbers have plummeted by 48 per cent in recent years, a loss that can be almost entirely linked to trichomoniasis – a fatal disease caused by a microscopic parasite which predominantly affects finches.

2022/ 2023 Irish Garden Bird Survey Results

While there is some consistency in terms of what species are most common, cold winter weather, autumn food supplies, and the success of the summer breeding season just gone all play a part in what birds arrive in Irish gardens at this time of year. Last year, the Robin came out on top again in Irish gardens having been seen in 99% of gardens, though were pushed to second place by the Blackbird in counties Wicklow, Offaly, Kildare and Antrim. The mild weather over the majority of last winter meant that many species were similarly widespread as in previous winters. In addition to Robin and Blackbird, Blue Tits and Magpies both occurred in over 90% of Irish gardens, while Great Tit, Chaffinch, House Sparrow and Goldfinch were in over 80% of gardens. For House Sparrow, it was their second-best year on record, likely due to a bumper breeding season. The species is on the ‘Amber list’ of Birds of Conservation Concern, so this positive trend is to be welcomed. Though the winter weather was mostly mild, there were a few short spells of snow which drove birds into gardens in higher numbers. The first species affected by this are often the birds in the thrush family, including our resident Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, migrant Redwing from Iceland and Fieldfare from Scandinavia. “Despite the temperatures being mild overall, we seem to be getting more storms and multiple short snowy spells in recent years, and these can be enough to deplete birds’ fat reserves and put them under real pressure. Song Thrush occurred in an extra 12% of gardens last year owing to the snowy weather” said Burke. “So, these are the times when your garden birds really need you to provide food and water, and if you can put these out a few days before any snow hits then you’re giving the birds a chance to realise it’s there, so they know exactly where to go when the ground freezes over.” Some very rare species were spotted in small numbers in Ireland last winter such as Bramblings, Lesser Whitethroats, Black Redstarts, Snow Buntings and Ring-necked Parakeets.

Getting involved in the survey

The value of an individual’s participation in the Irish Garden Bird Survey is not dependent on their bird knowledge, location or garden size but rather, their willingness to get involved every winter. “The value of the survey is when people do it year after year because we can monitor the change then. It doesn’t matter if you have three species in your garden and someone else has 30, we want to find out how those three species fare over time. That is the real crux of the survey,” explains Brian. “We want to hear from people with and without feeders. We want results from every type of garden in the country so that the survey results are representative of the whole country.”

Goldfinch-perched-on-the-end-of-a-branch

Goldfinch. Photo: Dick Coombes.

The Irish Garden Bird Survey is once again sponsored by Ballymaloe, whose support in recent years has helped ensure the survey has gone from strength to strength, improving monitoring at national level and allowing for greater focus on conservation issues facing individual species. “United in our commitment to the environment and inspired by the legacy of our forefather, Ivan Allen, Ballymaloe businesses as a group proudly sponsor BirdWatch Ireland's annual Irish Garden Bird Survey.  Mr Ivan Allen, the husband of Myrtle Allen and a devoted lover of birdlife, cherished the natural habitat around Ballymaloe House, and practised sustainable farming way ahead of his time.  In his memory, our collective support for the Irish Bird Survey reflects our ongoing celebration of Mr Allen's passion for birdlife and commitment to conservation,” said Marketing and Digital Manager at Ballymaloe House Hotel, Helen Cuddigan. “Together Ballymaloe House Hotel, the Ballymaloe Cookery School and Ballymaloe Foods are honoured to contribute towards supporting the preservation of Irish birdlife via BirdWatch Ireland's important national Irish Garden Bird Survey initiative in his name.  We encourage as many households as possible to get involved, every entry helps BirdWatch Ireland protect birdlife on the island of Ireland.” Participating in the Irish Garden Bird Survey each winter is a simple and effective way of contributing to a crucial body of data that will help to guide conservation. Through taking part, you are also sure to reap many rewards as the survey offers an opportunity to increase your bird knowledge, take a daily pause and perhaps, create memorable moments with friends and family. The Irish Garden Bird Survey will kick off on Monday, November 27th. For instructions on how to take part, see the Irish Garden Bird Survey page on our website here.

Similar Species

Coal Tit

Irish Name:
Meantán dubh
Scientific name:
Periparus ater
Bird Family:
Tits

Great Tit

Irish Name:
Meantán mór
Scientific name:
Parus major
Bird Family:
Tits