Where Do Blue Tits Go In Winter

With the trees covered in snow, blanketing the ground, and the temperatures dropping below freezing, you might be wondering where the blue tits have gone. If you’re used to seeing them flitting around in your garden, you may be surprised to find that they’re nowhere to be seen.

 So where do blue tits birds go in winter?

Contrary to popular belief, British blue tits do not migrate to a warmer climate in winter. In fact, they actually stay put in the UK and tough out the cold weather. They may be less visible during winter, but they are still around – you just have to know where to look.

What Are Blue Tits?

Blue tits are a small, passerine bird found in the United Kingdom. They are members of the tit family and are related to the chickadee and nuthatch. Blue tits are about 5 inches long and have a wingspan of about 7 inches.

Gardeners love them because of their acrobatic nature, the way they could fly backward and upside down, all with ease. They are also known for their curiosity and intelligence – they are one of the few birds that can open milk bottles.

Their chirp is also a welcome sound during the day. These birds are practically ubiquitous throughout Britain, so it is no surprise that blue tits are one of the most common garden birds.

Blue tits are a vibrant blue, yellow, and green colour with white cheeks and a thin black eyestripe. The belly round is a lovely white colour. They have small crests that can be raised when they become excited or aggressive.

Male and female blue tits are almost indistinguishable, except for a slightly brighter hue on males’ heads, wings, and tails. As they age, the blue in their plumage becomes more pronounced.

Where Do They Live In The UK?

Blue tits love to be around people, making them ideal garden or backyard species. They are found all over the UK, but especially around gardens. They can also be seen in parks and woodlands, making them a fairly adaptable bird species.

They do not need large areas to live, though, as long as there is an assortment of trees nearby with holes for them to build nests (which makes it easy for us to attract them into our gardens) and a nearby water source.

Blue tits are insectivorous birds, meaning that their diet consists of mostly insects. They also eat spiders, small reptiles, amphibians, berries, and seeds.

They usually forage for food in trees, shrubs, and hedges, but they will also search for scraps around people’s homes and gardens. They are known to be very adaptable when it comes to their diet.

Based on the data gathered in 2016, there are an estimated 3.4 million breeding pairs of blue tits in the UK.

 

 

Where Do UK Blue Tits Birds Go In Winter?

Blue tits are ground-dwelling birds that prefer to remain close to their nests. They don’t migrate to a warmer climate like some other bird species, but they adjust their behaviour and activities to suit the colder weather.

In winter, you will find blue tits feeding in flocks together instead of individually to look for food. They also spend more time sitting on branches and less time hopping around the ground.

They also seek shelter in evergreen trees or bushes to keep warm and conserve energy. If the cold weather gets too harsh or there is a lot of snow, they will sometimes roost in large flocks together at night.

Many species use the abandoned nests of other birds. This is most common at night when temperatures are at their coldest. This is done to stay warm and conserve energy for the next day.

Additionally, they will huddle together to keep warm. This is when you will see the most blue tits in one spot. When it’s really cold, they may even rest in buildings or other sheltered areas to get out of the wind and keep warm.

In the winter, blue tits will change their diet from insectivores to vegetarian ones. They feed on nuts, seeds, and berries instead of insects because there are few insects available in the colder months. Juniper berries, mistletoe berries, and ivy berries are their favourite.

Winter is a tough time for the blue tits and the record shows that almost two thirds of  the young die during this period. Blue tits have been found dead after exposure to temperatures below about -20 degrees Celsius (-0 degrees Fahrenheit). However, they can survive in cold weather as long as they have access to food and shelter.

Although the majority of the UK blue tits spend winter in the UK, some do migrate to warmer areas. Less than two percent of the population migrates to the south to escape the winter chill. This phenomenon is most common in birds that live near the coast, with milder winds and currents.

They tend to migrate in a leisurely fashion and will stopover at many locations along the way, so they don’t have any particular wintering location.

Final Words

Blue tits are fascinating birds with many interesting adaptations to suit their environment. They may not migrate like some other birds, but they have a unique way of getting through the winter.

If you live in a place where it gets cold during the winter months, there is one thing that will help your feathered friends survive—you leave them food outside, so they don’t need to venture out into the elements while looking for sustenance. Leaving some seeds or nuts overnight may be just what keeps them alive until spring arrives again.

Despite the cold weather, blue tits can survive by using various strategies. By understanding what they do during winter, we can help make their lives a little easier and ensure that they are around to grace us with their presence year after year.


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