A GREAT TIT BREEDING SEASON
In Britain great tits usually raise a single brood, and by July our gardens and woods are full of noisy fledglings.
JAN – FEB PAIR FORMATION
Great tits generally establish pairs in winter, while they are still in large feeding flocks. At the start of the year, the males then begin to sing and secure a territory, and pairs will perform flight displays to cement their bond.
FEB – MARCH SITE SELECTION
Site inspections are important to the pair-bonding process. The male perches near a suitable hole, displaying his white cheeksc to the fe emale, which willw approach anda take a l ook inside.
MARCH – APRIL NEST BUILDING
The female great tit builds the nest, which can take anything from two to 20 days. She constructs a bed of moss, mixed with plant fibre and grass, sometimes with a foundation of roots and leaves. The large nest cup is lined with fur, wool, hair and other soft materials.
APRIL – MAY LAYING & INCUBATION
The female lays one egg a day until a clutch of six to nine is complete; this is the peak period for ‘courtship feeding’, as well as mating. The female incubates the eggs for 13–15 days.
MAY – JUNE NESTLINGS
The young are blind and naked when they hatch, and until their feathers grow they are brooded byy the female. Both m ale and female wi ill bring food to the ne est for the next tw wo to three weeks, u ntil the nestlings a re large enough to leave.
JUNE – JULY FLEDGING
For the first week after leaving the nest, the fledglings are dependent on their parents for food. They will continue to receive support for two to four weeks after fledging. Eventually the adults stop providing food and the juveniles fend entirely for themselves.