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Cyanistes caeruleus
Small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae, easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage, but its scientific classification is disputed. The Blue Tit is usually 12 centimetres long with a wingspan of 18 centimetres. It has an azure blue crown and dark blue line passing through the eye, and encircling the white cheeks to the chin, giving the bird a very distinctive appearance. The forehead and a bar on the wing are white. The nape, wings and tail are blue and the back is yellowish green. The underparts is mostly sulphur-yellow with a dark line down the abdomen. The bill is black, the legs bluish grey, and the irides dark brown. The sexes are similar, but under ultraviolet light, males have a brighter blue crown. Young Blue Tits are noticeably more yellow.
Pine tree and evergreen oak forest
The yellowness is indicative of the number of yellowy-green caterpillars eaten, due to high levels of carotene pigments in the diet. On the other side, the more blue and white are also the most seductive. They are structural colors, in this case are not due to pigments. They depend on the structure of plumage, which makes that light is reflected in a certain way. These colors give information about the genetic quality of the individual: If the feather grows well it has better structure and reflects more light, so that it generates more blues and whites. Good feathers also reflect UV, a few colors that humans cannot see but birds do perceive them. Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/640 sec.; f/13; ISO Speed Rating: 800. Exposure Bias: 0.0 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm.
Spotted on Mar 6, 2015
Submitted on May 13, 2015
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