Across the northern hemisphere many birds have already left for warmer locations, leaving behind the resident, non-migrating species. Overwintering birds include the Paridae family: chickadees and titmice in North America and tits in Europe. In the coming months you can look for them in mixed species flocks and watch as they adapt their behavior to stay warm by fluffing feathers or huddling together.
The Great Tit is found throughout Europe, and its lively foraging behavior, distinctive vocalizations, and bright coloring make it fun to find and observe. It’s also been the subject of many scientific studies, including the Wytham Tit Project, a long-term investigation that has led to discoveries about bird ecology, epidemiology, social behavior, and the timing of spring breeding.
Other Great Tit studies have uncovered how their stable social networks develop, whether human-provided food alters their blood glucose levels, how artificial light impacts dawn foraging activity, and whether city-dwelling dulls plumage coloration.