Great Tit Identification

Adult (Great)

A small songbird with a white cheek; black cap, throat, and collar; single white wingbar; and small, black bill. Birds across Europe and parts of Asia are yellowish below, with a greenish back and blue-gray wings and tail.

Adult (Great)

Feeds on insects, seeds, and berries.

Adult (Great)

A small songbird with white cheeks, a black cap and throat, and, in Europe, bright yellow underparts divided by a black central line. Upperparts are greenish, with blue-gray wings and tail. Male is brighter yellow than female, with a wider central line and a black patch on the belly.

Juvenile (Great)

Juvenile has light yellowish cheeks, a dull blackish cap, and paler underparts than adult.

Adult (Turkestan)

“Turkestan” Great Tit of Central Asia has silver-gray upperparts and is whitish below.

Adult (Great)

Female is paler yellow than male, with a thinner black central line below.

Adult (Turkestan)

“Turkestan” Great Tit has silver-gray upperparts and wings; long tail is darker gray with white in the outer tail feathers.

Adult (Great)

Great Tit populations in Asia have paler yellow underparts than the bright yellow birds in Europe.

Adult (Great)

Probes under tree bark throughout the year in search of insect eggs and larvae.

Adult (Great)

Thick black line extends from black throat and divides yellow underparts.

Adult (Great) (with Eurasian Tree Sparrow)

The largest tit in Europe, nearly as large as Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Adult (Great)

Frequently visits bird feeders and quick to take advantage of new food sources.

See more images of this species in Macaulay Library

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Identification

Conspicuous inhabitant of woods, forests, parks, gardens, and hedges in farmland. Often visits bird feeders and uses nest boxes. Plumage is distinctive, with white cheeks surrounded by a black cap and bib. Male has a broader black stripe down belly than the female, and the juvenile (seen in summer–early autumn) has yellowish wash to face and drabber plumage overall. Underparts are bright yellow throughout much of range, but “Turkestan Tit” of Central Asia has a white belly. Appreciably larger and more boldly patterned than Eurasian Blue Tit, which often occurs alongside it. Listen for its distinctive high-pitched up-and-down song: “tsee-dee-tsee-dee-tsee-dee” and chattering scolds.

Relative Size

Larger than a Eurasian Blue Tit and smaller than a Common Nightingale.

Size chart showing sparrow to goose sized

Measurements

Both Sexes
- Length: 4.9-5.9 in (12.5-15 cm)
- Weight: 0.4-0.8 oz (11.9-22.1 g)

Regional Differences

Ornithologists recognize two Great Tit subspecies groups: “Great” and “Turkestan.” The widespread “Great” group occurs from Europe and northwestern Africa to eastern Siberia, while the “Turkestan” group is restricted to Central Asia. The main difference between the two groups is the color of the underparts: “Turkestan” Great Tits are whitish below, and “Great” Great Tits are yellowish below (although the intensity and extent of the yellow varies across this group’s range).