Great tit chicks about to leave nest

Text Margus Ots, Coordinator of Great Tit Year

Translation Liis

The 18 days old great tit chicks are capable of flying and can leave the nest at any moment, Vana-Kuuste 02.06.2016 / Photo: Margus Ots

The chicks of great tits usually leave the nest when they are 18-20 days old. The chicks of the tits that begun their nesting first have already left the nests but the majority of the chicks will fledge during next week. In the great tit nests with cameras the nesting has developed as follows:

• In nest box 1 there were 11 eggs and the chicks hatched on May 16. Thus the chicks are 17 days old and can leave the nest at any moment. Since chicks often do not hatch from all eggs or all hatched chicks do not grow to fledging it is a joy to see a nest with 11 chicks.
• In nest box 2 there were 9 eggs and the chicks hatched on May 18^th. The chicks are now 15 days old and there are still a few days left until they leave the nest. In this nest too all 9 chicks are alive.
• Nest 3 with 10 eggs was looted by a wryneck, see  video) and a new nesting did not take place in this nestbox

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17-days old chicks, nest box no 1, 02.06.2016 / image from webcam by Venegor, LK forum

14-days old chicks, nest box no . 2,  01.06.2016 / webcam image by Laranjeiras, LK forum