Great Tit

Parus major · Luc Viatour / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Info

Common name: Great Tit Scientific name: Parus major

The great tit is one of Europe’s most familiar garden birds: bold, curious, and conspicuously patterned with its black-and-white head, yellow breast, and green back. It is the largest member of the tit family Paridae and one of the most extensively studied birds in the world, partly because of its willingness to nest in boxes and its adaptability to a wide variety of habitats.

Great tits are year-round residents throughout Portugal. They are highly vocal and their repertoire is unusually large — individuals have been documented producing over 40 distinct call types. Their characteristic two-note teacher-teacher song is one of the first sounds of early spring, often beginning in January.

Song & Call

Recording XC814022 via xeno-canto.org — Creative Commons licensed.

First recorded: 26 May 2026 · Cruz de Argola, Guimarães, Portugal