December 9, 2024, 8:15 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Chickadees (known in Europe as tits) are among the best-known songbirds in Germany. They also play an important role in our ecosystem. But what makes these birds so special? PETBOOK spoke to NABU bird conservation officer Martin Rümmler and took a closer look at these fascinating birds.
A bright yellow belly and – in the case of blue tits – a blue head: tits are among the most striking songbirds that you can observe in gardens, parks, forests, or even on your own balcony. However, they are not only beautiful to look at; they are also one of the most widespread songbird species in Germany, after blackbirds and sparrows. “Of the ‘real’ tits, the great tit and blue tit are by far the most common species,” says Martin Rümmler from NABU to PETBOOK. Other chickadee species are also common in Germany. Here, the expert reveals exciting facts about chickadees that many people are guaranteed not to know.
These Chickadee Species Are Found in Germany
A total of six chickadee species are native to Germany. These include:
- Great tit: 5.6 to 7 million
- Blue tit: 3.3 to 4.8 million
- Eurasian blue tit: 1.1 to 1.6 million
- Marsh tit: 400 to 530 thousand
- Crested tit: 400 to 600 thousand
- Willow tit: 64 to 120 thousand
Although you can often observe tits, many people know surprisingly little about these fascinating birds. Here, you can read how they communicate with each other, what they eat, and what exciting behaviors make them true survival artists.
Chickadees are Talented Communicators
Marking territories, attracting mates, keeping rivals away: The sounds that chickadees make fulfill important tasks. The birds also use their calls to warn each other of danger or to show excitement and fear. One of the most fascinating facts about tits is that they communicate so effectively that even other bird species benefit from it. Martin Rümmler explains: “Other bird species also sometimes benefit from the social and warning calls of tits and join their flocks, for example, in winter, in order to be better protected from predators.”
The communication between the willow tit and the marsh tit is particularly interesting. “Both species are almost indistinguishable to humans visually,” says Rümmler. Both have brown-grey plumage, a light-colored belly, and a distinctive black crown. But their different songs help them to differentiate. “The songs help to prevent interbreeding between the species,” emphasizes the expert.
Chickadees Also Communicate Non-Verbally
Chickadees communicate not only through songs and calls but also through their body language. Japanese tits provide a fascinating example of this. “Japanese tits flap their wings to signal priority at the nesting site,” explains Martin Rümmler. This gesture serves to make it clear to other tits that they should step back for a moment. A study has documented this behavior and shown how purposefully and effectively tits use non-verbal signals to avoid conflicts and regulate their social interactions.
The Japanese tit, also known as Parus minor, is common in large parts of East Asia and prefers to live in forests, parks, and gardens. Its appearance with olive green to gray plumage with a black head and white cheek area is reminiscent of the great tit, to which it is closely related.
Chickadees Like to Eat Spiders
Tits are very versatile when it comes to their diet. During spring and summer, insects such as butterfly caterpillars and spiders are the main items on their menu. This protein-rich food plays a crucial role in the rearing of the young birds. “Especially in the first week of rearing the young after hatching, spiders in particular are collected and fed,” adds the expert. The reason for this is the spiders’ high taurine content, which is essential for the chicks’ brain development.
Tits adapt their eating habits as the seasons change. In fall and winter, when fewer insects are available, they look for seeds and fruits. Some species, such as the blue tit, even help themselves to willow blossom nectar. “In winter, tits also build up food stores, especially seeds, for example, in tree bark and bark,” adds Rümmler.
Chickadees Learn From Each Other
In a British town, great tits developed an amazing technique: “They learned to open the foil seals of milk bottles to get to the cream layer underneath,” reports Rümmler. This trick spread among great tits throughout Great Britain within 20 years. A fact that shows: Great tits can learn from each other and develop certain cultural traditions.
Native black birds Raven or crow? How to recognize the difference
In Norway After an eagle attack on a toddler: Expert explains the behavior
Native wild animals Why you so rarely see dead birds
Chickadees Fight Pests
Chickadees are indispensable helpers for garden owners. “Tits consume up to 1,000 caterpillars and larvae each day solely during the rearing of their young,” explains Martin Rümmler. This enormous feeding capacity is one of the facts that many people don’t know about tits. It not only contributes to the healthy development of the chicks but also protects plants from pest infestation. Blue tits, in particular, specifically collect aphids and scale insects, which often spread to garden plants. Their keen sense even enables them to detect the scent of infested plants and search for pests.
A particularly impressive example of the useful role of tits is their contribution to combating the chestnut leaf miner, an introduced pest species. “Chestnut leaf miners originally have no or only a few natural predators in our latitudes, where they did not occur in the past,” explains Rümmler. However, tits, especially blue tits and great tits, quickly learn to find new sources of food. They open the mining tunnels in chestnut leaves and consume the larvae within.
According to the expert, studies prove this: “Experiments have shown that the provision of nesting boxes had a small positive effect on moth infestation. If trees in the experiment were protected by bird netting so that no birds could reach them, the overall moth infestation was higher,” explains the expert. Tits, therefore, actively contribute to the health of plants and trees.