Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Also known as Eurasian blue tit

Common All year Gardens Woodland Towns

Test yourself

Recording: Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Sounds like

Two or three thin, high notes followed by a fast, shimmering trill: 'tsee-tsee-tsuhuhuhu'. Scolds with a churring 'chrr-rr-rr'.

Remember it

Two pins dropped on a plate, then a tiny rattle.

When and where

Listening for the blue tit

Heard: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Jan to Jun
Time of day: Dawn and Day
Where: Gardens, Woodland, Towns
In Britain: All year
Family: Tits

Side by side

Often confused with

Play them one after the other and listen for the difference.

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

JFMAMJJASOND

Two pins dropped on a plate, then a tiny rattle.

Great Tit

Parus major

JFMAMJJASOND

'Teacher, teacher.' And if you hear a call you can't place, guess great tit.

Coal Tit

Periparus ater

JFMAMJJASOND

A great tit on fast-forward, usually from a conifer.

Could you pick out a blue tit?

Hear a song, choose from four birds, and build your streak.

Play the quiz

Same habitat

Also in gardens

See all

Blackbird

Turdus merula

JFMAMJJASOND

Slow, rich, fluting phrases that wander about and often trail off into a quiet chuckle.

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

JFMAMJJASOND

A cheerful, accelerating run of notes that tumbles down and ends in a flourish, repeated over and over.

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

JFMAMJJASOND

A hurried, flat, squeaky warble that stays on one level and stops abruptly, like a squeaky wheel turning.

Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

JFMAMJJASOND

Bright, liquid, tinkling twitters with a 'tickelit' call, often from small flocks feeding on seed heads.