Great Tit - bird of the year 2016

Knock-knock on the window! The next Bird of the Year, announced by Estonian Ornithological Society, has entered the scene. This time – the 22nd year already - it is one of the most common and best known garden birds - the Great Tit. And there are good reasons for it. First - it is one of the most common birds around and second - almost everyone knows this bird from childhood, as it can be easily seen everywhere all the year round. There are several other tit species in Estonia that one can get acquainted with too, but this is the species you are likely to see the most.

Great Tit (Parus major) / Source: et.wikipedia.org

The Great Tit is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa where it stays mainly in woodland. But usually Great Tits do not migrate except in extremely harsh winters. This little bold - if not blatant - creature comes up to our homes, if short of food, and very often looks inside through the window to check what’s on the table. A good moment to have a close look. He or she? The sexes can be told apart by the width of the black stripe down the breast - the males have a broader stripe than the females.

To be honest we can celebrate the 45th anniversary of thorough Great Tit studies in Estonia. In 1971 en masse passerine ringing activities were called into being by the ornithologists of Matsalu and Nigula Nature Reserves. Special attention was paid to the Great Tit, who is readily available all the year round and also on migration. This research work was done in different places round Estonia under the code name “Operation Parus”. It was part of larger international programme “Baltika”. Lots of schoolchildren all over the country participated in this programme and several by now well-known ornithologists made their first steps as birders during these years.

By the beginning of 2000 the total number of ringed Great Tits in Estonia was about 600,000 birds. The ongoing century has added another 100,000, so the approximate total is now 700,000.