Great tit chicks have fledged
Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Great tit chick after having left the nest
Great tit Rasvatihane Parus major
The first clutch of our winged friends from the winter have fledged, and a part of the great tits that have already nested have started laying the second clutch. The female incubates, and the incubation period lasts a couple of weeks. On some rare occasions the male feeds the incubating female. The hatched chicks however are fed industriously by both adults. The eyes of the chicks are not open until after a little more than a week, and the chicks fledge in two-three weeks. The chicks stay in the nest for about a month. There are about 300 000 to 400 000 nesting pairs in Estonia.
Great tit nest
The eggs are white with a delicate red pattern and there are 7-12 of them in the nest. In feeding such a number of chicks the great tits destroy great numbers of harmful insects in our gardens: tortrix moths, shield bugs, aphids...