Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes) [XC895640]
by Martin Billard from Arrondissement de Torcy (near Tournan-en-Brie), Seine-et-Marne, \u00cele-de-France, France (begging call)
Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes) [XC881637]
by Jorge Leit\u00e3o from Centro Urbano de Santo Tirso, Porto, Portugal (song)
Nest
In a hole of a tree, wall or nestbox, composed of a pad of moss with a cup lined with hair and fine grass.
Eggs (Guide)
6 - 16; white with fine, reddish spots.
Subspecies
Parus caeruleus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) is retained as one species contra Gosler and Clement (2007) who split Cyanistes teneriffae, Dietzen et al. (2008) who split teneriffae including ultramarinus, Sangster (1996) who split ultramarinus, teneriffae, degener, ombriosus and palmensis and Schottler et al. (2002) who split palmensis and teneriffae.
Forms a superspecies with African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae) and Azure Tit (Cyanistes cyanus). Previously considered conspecific with African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae).
Alternatively, subspecies ultramarinus and cyrenaicae alone frequently treated within African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae). Further study required.
Hybridizes with Azure Tit (Cyanistes cyanus), especially following years when latter expands western in irruptive manner (hybrids described as a separate taxon, "pleskii"). Hybridizes rarely also with Great Tit (Parus major). Nominate subspecies intergrades with obscurus, ogliastrae and satunini; also, satunini intergrades with persicus, and it is uncertain which of these subspecies breeds in north-western Syria.
The following 11 subspecies are recognised:
obscurus (Pražák, 1894) - British Is.
caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Northern, central and eastern Europe (south to northern Spain, Italy, northern and central Greece), western and northern Asia Minor.
ogliastrae (Hartert, 1905) - Southern Iberia, Corsica and Sardinia.
balearicus (von Jordans, 1913) - Mallorca.
calamensis (Parrot, 1908) - Southern Greece, Cyclades, Crete and Rhodes.
orientalis Zarudny & Loudon, 1905 - South-eastern European Russia.
ultramarinus (Bonaparte, 1841) - North-western Africa from Morocco east to northern Tunisia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae).
cyrenaicae (E. J. O. Hartert, 1922) - North-eastern Libya. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae).
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet