For decades the Azure Tit, the eastern counterpart of the Blue Tit, was scientifically known as Parus Cyanus.

That was until 2005 when it was classified as an early offshoot of other tits.

Interbreeding with the blue tit in western Russia ended with a bird called Pleske’s Tit and was thought to be a species all on its own.

Photo Courtesy of jargals004 / CC BY 2.0

Below are some Fun Facts:

The Azure Tit is a passerine bird (Cyanistes Cyanus)in the tit family Paridae. A small bird, it measures a mere 12-13 cm (4-5 inches long), weighing in at 8-10 grams.

Though they are small, they stand out because of their blue and white markings.

The dominant northern population subspecies are white with a gray lack outlining of the cheek.

The Azure Tit is the eastern counterpart of the common Eurasian Blue Tit. Interbreeding with this species will usually produce offspring showing a blue crown.

Photo Courtesy of Vincent van der Spek /  CC BY-SA 3.0

Voice/Song

These very cute bird calls are series of cheery high-pitched songs, of whistles, chirps, trills, and rattles.

Photo Courtesy of Vincent van der Spek /  CC BY-SA 3.0

Habitat and Range

The Azure Tit prefers temperate and subarctic deciduous or mixed woodlands, scrubs, marshes, and high altitude agricultural areas. They can even be found in tropical swamp forests on the southernmost part of their range. Their preference is for open wooded or shrubby areas.

Not keen on migration, some do fly off to western parts of their range during winter.

This species is found from eastern Poland and Finland, through western and southern Russia, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, north-western China, Manchuria, and Mongolia.

Photo Courtesy of Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0

Diet

They look for food often within dense foliage. During spring and summer, they feed on insects and other invertebrates while feeding mostly on seeds, nuts, and berries for the rest of the year.

Photo Courtesy of Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0

Breeding

During the breeding season, the male Azure Tit performs courtship feeding, offering some food to its mate.

The female Azure Tit nests in a tree hole or wall where it lays eggs, closely sitting on them, hissing and biting when disturbed. The eggs are white with reddish-brown spots and are incubated for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 17-20 days after hatching.

Photo Courtesy of Instagram

Conservation

This species has a vast breeding range and is described as common and widespread. With its stable population and the absence of imminent threat or evidence for any declines, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) gave it the status of LC, which stands for Least Concern. However, this should not lead us to consider capturing these birds and taking them home in cages. They are better left in their natural habitat to live.