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Parus Caeruleus

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Parus Caeruleus Parus caeruleus -- Linnaeus, 1758 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PASSERIFORMES -- PARIDAE Common names: Blue Tit; European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK) Vagrant: Malta Population The European population is estimated at 29,300,000-50,600,000 pairs, which equates to 58,600,000-101,000,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 25,300,000-43,200,000 pairs, which equates to 50,700,000-86,300,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be increasing. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology This species inhabits broad-leaved woodland, as well as coppices, parks and gardens. In the Canary Islands it also frequents montane conifer woodland. Provided suitable nest-holes are present this species will even occur in inner cities. Egg-laying begins late April to early May (Snow and Perrins 1998). The nest is built by the female and is mostly a cup of moss, dried grass, fine bark strips, plant fibres, leaves, animal hair and feathers, placed in a hole or a cleft in a tree or post or other artificial site. Nestboxes are widely used. In Europe clutches are generally seven to thirteen eggs (Gosler et al. 2013). It feeds primarily on insects and spiders, as well as fruits, seeds, nectar and pollen. The diet varies with seasonal and other changes in food abundance. The species is essentially resident though in the centre and north of its range it makes irregular eruptive movements (Snow and Perrins 1998). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable non-breeding Forest - Temperate major breeding Forest - Temperate major non-breeding Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable breeding Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable non-breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable non-breeding Altitude max. 3500 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species is subject to high annual and local fluctuations driven by habitat carrying capacity, breeding success, winter mortality (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997) and competition from Parus major (Gosler et al. 2013). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Climate change & Temperature Timing Scope Severity Impact severe weather extremes Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact Stresses Species mortality Invasive and other Great Tit (Parus Timing Scope Severity Impact problematic major) Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Unknown Unknown species, genes & diseases Stresses Competition Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Bern Convention Appendix II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species. Conservation Actions Proposed Currently no conservation measures are needed for this species. Bibliography Gosler, A., Clement, P. and Christie, D.A. 2013. Common Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2013. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59909 on 17 March 2015). Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 2: Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Map (see overleaf) .
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