Tits and Chickadees (Paridae)
Common Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - HBW 12, p. 747
French: Mésange bleue
German: Blaumeise
Spanish: Herrerillo Común
Other common names: Blue Tit; African Blue Tit (ultramarinus and cyrenaicae, often with C. teneriffae); Pleske’s Tit (hybrid form “pleskii”)
Taxonomy: Parus caeruleus Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Forms a superspecies with C. teneriffae and C. cyanus. Previously considered conspecific with former, but differs in mitochondrial DNA; alternatively, races ultramarinus and cyrenaicae alone frequently treated within C. teneriffae; further study required. Hybridizes with C. cyanus, especially following years when latter expands W in irruptive manner (hybrids described as a separate taxon, “pleskii”); hybridizes rare.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Parus caeruleus Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Forms a superspecies with C. teneriffae and C. cyanus. Previously considered conspecific with former, but differs in mitochondrial DNA; alternatively, races ultramarinus and cyrenaicae alone frequently treated within C. teneriffae; further study required. Hybridizes with C. cyanus, especially following years when latter expands W in irruptive manner (hybrids described as a separate taxon, “pleskii”); hybridizes rarely also with Parus major. Nominate race intergrades with obscurus, ogliastrae and satunini; also, satunini intergrades with persicus, and it is uncertain which of these races breeds in NW Syria. Eleven subspecies recognized.
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Forms a superspecies with C. teneriffae and C. cyanus. Previously considered conspecific with former, but differs in mitochondrial DNA; alternatively, races ultramarinus and cyrenaicae alone frequently treated within C. teneriffae; further study required. Hybridizes with C. cyanus, especially following years when latter expands W in irruptive manner (hybrids described as a separate taxon, “pleskii”); hybridizes rarely also with Parus major. Nominate race intergrades with obscurus, ogliastrae and satunini; also, satunini intergrades with persicus, and it is uncertain which of these races breeds in NW Syria. Eleven subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- obscurus (Prazák, 1894) - British Is.
- caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) - N, C & E Europe (S to N Spain, Italy, N & C Greece), W & N Asia Minor.
- ogliastrae (E. J. O. Hartert, 1905) - S Iberia, Corsica and Sardinia.
- obscurus (Prazák, 1894) - British Is.
- caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) - N, C & E Europe (S to N Spain, Italy, N & C Greece), W & N Asia Minor.
- ogliastrae (E. J. O. Hartert, 1905) - S Iberia, Corsica and Sardinia.
- balearicus (Jordans, 1913) - Mallorca.
- calamensis (Parrot, 1908) - S Greece, Cyclades, Crete and Rhodes.
- orientalis Zarudny & Loudon, 1905 - SE European Russia.
- satunini Zarudny, 1908 - Crimea, Caucasus, E Turkey, N Jordan, NW Iran, possibly also SE Turkey, NW Syria and N Iraq.
- raddei (Zarudny, 1908) - N Iran.
- persicus (Blanford, 1873) - SW Iran.
- ultramarinus (Bonaparte, 1841) - NW Africa from Morocco E to N Tunisia.
- cyrenaicae (E. J. O. Hartert, 1922) - NE Libya.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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An adult on a bush, preening. Locality Izmailovsky Park, Moscow, Western Russia, Russia (ssp caeruleus)
Josep del Hoyo 2 June 2009 2 years ago 41 sec 3.7 -
A female bird feeding in hour garden. Locality Flevoland Province, Netherlands
Yoel Jimenez 20 December 2009 3 years ago 34 sec 3.7 -
a bird eating a cake Locality Girona, Girona Province, Catalonia, Spain
Ferran Vaquero 23 March 2006 2 years ago 32 sec 3.6 -
a bird inspecting a nestbox Locality De Glind, Barneveld, Gelderland Province, Netherlands (Monotypic species)
Wout van den Brink 21 November 1996 3 years ago 29 sec 3.6 -
A bird on a feeder and flies to a branche. Locality Flevoland Province, Netherlands
Yoel Jimenez 20 December 2009 3 years ago 14 sec 3.6 -
Bird on feeding table Locality Cannop Ponds, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, Great Britain (ssp obscurus)
Desmond Allen 9 December 2010 20 weeks ago 21 sec 3.5
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1cy male in the hand, lateral view.
Locality Milicz Fish Ponds, Milicz, Lower Silesian Province, Poland (ssp caeruleus)
Hanna Sztwiertnia 20 November 2010 28 weeks ago 4 -
feeding on berries.
Locality Girona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp caeruleus)
Fran Trabalon 4 September 2012 34 weeks ago 4 -
Male on a branch.
Locality Girona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp caeruleus)
Fran Trabalon 17 February 2011 35 weeks ago 4 -
A bird hanging on a branch while foraging.
Locality Holstebro, Central Denmark Region, Denmark (ssp caeruleus)
Hanne and Jens Eriksen 40 weeks ago 4 -
One bird on a tree
Locality Maksimir Park, City of Zagreb, Croatia
Bojan Bencic 1 January 2012 1 year ago 4 -
juvenile on a branch
Locality Els Omells de Na Gaia, Lleida Province, Catalonia, Spain
Josep Batlle 9 August 2011 1 year ago 4
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A type of song Locality Antwerp Province, Belgium
(ssp caeruleus)
Laurent Demongin 15 April 2010 2 years ago 3 -
A bird calling Locality Antwerp Province, Belgium
(ssp caeruleus)
Laurent Demongin 15 April 2010 2 years ago 3
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