# Great Tit (*Parus major*)

> The great tit (Parus major) is a bold black-capped tit of Eurasian woodlands and gardens from Europe to East Asia. Larger than a blue tit, it takes insects and seeds, drums on feeders, and sings a ringing "teacher-teacher" song. Listed Least Concern and a model species for evolutionary research.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Woodland and gardens from Europe to East Asia and into North Africa.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-tit/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Passeriformes
- **Family:** Paridae
- **Genus:** Parus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Parus major |
| Diet | Omnivore (insects and seeds) |
| Habitat | Woodland, parks, and gardens |
| Lifespan | Around 3 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity). |
| Weight | About 0.018 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary). |
| Top speed | Up to roughly 30 km/h when moving at speed. |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Black tie and white cheeks

A broad black band down the yellow belly helps sex birds — wider in males. They dominate smaller tits at feeders and nest in cavities and boxes.

## Insects plus winter seeds

Breeding diet is rich in caterpillars and other invertebrates; in winter they switch more to seeds and beech mast, and visit peanut feeders.

## Europe to East Asia

Woodland, parks, and gardens from Europe across temperate Asia into North Africa — one of the widest ranges of any tit. Across its range it is tied to woodland, parks, and gardens, and field accounts emphasise this species’ distinctive ecology rather than generic habitat labels.

## Science celebrity

Least Concern and abundant; decades of nest-box studies in Europe made great tits a flagship for research on clutch size, song, and climate responses.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do you tell great tits from blue tits?

Great tits are larger with a black crown and a black stripe down the belly; blue tits have a blue cap and lack the full belly stripe.

### What does a great tit song sound like?

A clear, repeated two-note phrase often rendered as "teacher-teacher" or "tea-cher".

### Do great tits eat peanuts?

Yes — they are regular visitors to garden peanut and seed feeders.

### Are great tits aggressive?

They can dominate smaller birds at feeders and defend nest cavities vigorously.

### Where do great tits live?

From Europe to East Asia in woodland, parks, and gardens.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-tit/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.