Blue tit chicks find foster home

An unconventional family of birds has been found in Scotland, with a pair of great tits raising two blue tit chicks alongside their own offspring.

Wildlife cameras in a nest box in Aberfoyle, Perthshire, first recorded the birds at the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre in early June, where it was noticed that two of the eggs in the clutch belonged to a different species.

Hatching at the same time, the two blue tit chicks were dwarfed by the much larger great tits, but fought their way to the front at feeding time and not only survived, but thrived with their adoptive family.

Territorial battles for good nesting sites can sometimes lead to great tits displacing their smaller rivals, sometimes after they have already laid their eggs. Blue tits, however, have also been recorded sneaking back in after losing their nests and adding a few eggs of their own.

Samantha Herbert