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The tits (Paridae) are widespread in Europe with different species. In their habitat, the tits look for caves as nesting places. But what color are the tit eggs?
In a nutshell
- in Germany, great, blue, marsh or willow tits dominate
- the birds prefer naturally sheltered nesting sites in tree cavities
- the color of the eggs is characterized by a white background and reddish-brown spots
- between six and twelve eggs belong to a normal clutch
The Nesting Place
The birds look for tree cavities or nesting boxes to incubate their tit eggs there. Even before mating, the tits are looking for their nesting site. They attach great importance to dense undergrowth and natural protection.
Notice: Tits often nest near fruit trees. The insects there belong to the preferred food.
The clutch of a great tit
The clutch
Six to twelve tit eggs belong to a normal brood. The size is between 13 and 18 mm. The females lay their eggs in the nest within 24 hours. If it is too cold at the time of year, the females stop laying eggs. The female incubates the clutch while the male is responsible for feeding.
Notice: The female, however, warms up her brood slightly at first. Over time, the female devotes more and more time to incubation. Incubation lasts between 10 and 17 days.
The look
Tit eggs have a special appearance. The base of the tit eggs is white. There is a variable pattern on it. Brick red or reddish brown patterns often occur in the following manner:
- stains
- blobs
- sprinkles
Tit eggs are very different. Some markings are evenly spaced throughout the egg, while other eggs have no red blobs at all. Other options are the following:
Source: Dellex, Blue tit egg, Cyanistes caeruleus, Parus caeruleus, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- concentrated at the pole of the eggs
- rough pattern
- fine pattern
- sparse or profuse splashes of color
Tip: If you want to identify tit eggs, you should look at the big picture. The white ground and the red-brown or brick-red patterns are typical. The rest can easily differ.
frequently asked Questions
How does mating take place?Tits mate in Europe between February and April. During mating, the cohesion between males and females is high. Nevertheless, there are frequent foreign copulations, so that there are offspring from other fathers in almost every third brood. Copulation takes place in the early morning hours near the previously inspected brood cavity.
What species are common?The tit family includes over 50 different species. In addition to the great tit, the following specimens are also frequently found in our regions:
- Coal Tit
- Marsh Tit
- Willow Tit
- Blue Tit
In the maximum case, there were clutches of up to 17 eggs. The habitat is responsible for the different clutch sizes. In deciduous forests, the tits lay the most eggs, while in parks there are significantly fewer.