Conservation and Management

BirdLife International treats Great Tit as conspecific with Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) and Japanese Tit (Parus minor) and has thus not evaluated the conservation status of these species separately; together, they are not globally threatened (Least Concern according to IUCN RedList Criteria).

Habitat Loss and Degradation

The ability of the Great Tit to frequently use human-modified landscapes, and to nest in artificial nest boxes, may buffer it against increasing fragmentation and degradation of forest habitats. However, increasing urbanization has far-ranging effects on populations using these habitats. Compared to forest populations, birds in urban habitats have reduced breeding success, including smaller clutches, reduced hatching success, lower nestling mass, body condition, and plumage brightness, more costly nestling immune responses, reduced fledgling success, and produce fewer total fledglings annually (199 Chamberlain, D. E., A. R. Cannon, M. P. Toms, D. I. Leech, B. J. Hatchwell, and K. J. Gaston (2009) Avian productivity in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis. Ibis 151(1):1–18. Close , 200 Hedblom, M., and B. Söderström (2012). Effects of urban matrix on reproductive performance of Great Tit (Parus major) in urban woodlands. Urban Ecosystems 15:167–180. Close , 201 Bailly, J., R. Scheifler, M. Belvalette, S. Garnier, E. Boissier, V.-A. Clément-Demange, M. Gète, M. Leblond, B. Pasteur, Q. Piget, M. Sage, and B. Faivre (2016). Negative impact of urban habitat on immunity in the great tit Parus major. Oecologia 182:1053–1062. Close , 202 Biard, C., F. Brischoux, A. Meillère, B. Michaud, M. Nivière, S. Ruault, M. Vaugoyeau, and F. Angelier (2017). Growing in cities: an urban penalty for wild birds? A study of phenotypic differences between urban and rural Great Tit chicks (Parus major). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 5:79. Close , 203 de Satgé, J., D. Strubbe, J. Elst, J. De Laet, F. Adriaensen, and E. Matthysen (2019). Urbanisation lowers great tit Parus major breeding success at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Avian Biology 50:e02108. Close , 204 Wawrzyniak, J., M. Glądalski, A. Kaliński, M. Bańbura, M. Markowski, J. Skwarska, P. Zieliński and J. Bańbura (2020). Differences in the breeding performance of great tits Parus major between a forest and an urban area: a long term study on first clutches. The European Zoological Journal 87(1):294–309. Close , 171 Bukor, B., G. Seress, I. Pipoly, K. Sandor, C. Sinkovics, E. Vincze, and A. Liker (2022). Double-brooding and annual breeding success of great tits in urban and forest habitats. Current Zoology 68:517–525. Close ). Urbanization also has more complex effects on incubation behavior (205 Hope, S. F., W. A. Hopkins, and F. Angelier (2022). Parenting in the city: effects of urbanization on incubation behaviour and egg temperature in great tits, Parus major. Animal Behaviour 194:1–11. Close ), personality traits and stress responses (206 Charmantier, A., V. Demeyrier, M. Lambrechts, S. Perret, and A. Grégoire (2017). Urbanization is associated with divergence in pace-of-life in Great Tits. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 5:53. Close ), and vocalizations (individuals in urban environments have higher frequency calls compared to rural areas, compensating for urban noise pollution; 207 Huffeldt, N. P., and T. Dabelsteen (2013). Impact of a noise-polluted urban environment on the song frequencies of a cosmopolitan songbird, the Great Tit (Parus major), in Denmark. Ornis Fennica 90(2):94–102. Close ). However, urban areas may not necessarily act as ecological traps, as urban predation is lower and urban survival is higher, but more study of annual productivity is needed (175 Horak, P., and J.-D. Lebreton (1998). Survival of adult Great Tits Parus major in relation to sex and habitat; a comparison of urban and rural populations. Ibis 140(2):205–209. Close , 199 Chamberlain, D. E., A. R. Cannon, M. P. Toms, D. I. Leech, B. J. Hatchwell, and K. J. Gaston (2009) Avian productivity in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis. Ibis 151(1):1–18. Close ).

Climate Change

Spring temperatures in Europe have been increasing for decades, resulting in a phenological mismatch in the timing of Great Tit egg laying and the peak of caterpillar abundance, a key food resource for feeding young; this has resulted in selection for earlier egg laying dates until the phenological mismatch has eased (208 Visser, M. E., A. J. van Noordwijk, J. M. Tinbergen, and C. M. Lessells (1998). Warmer springs lead to mis-timed reproduction in Great Tits (Parus major). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 265:1867–1870. Close , 209 Reed, T. E., S. Jenouvrier, and M. E. Visser (2013). Phenological mismatch strongly affects individual fitness but not population demography in a woodland passerine. Journal of Animal Ecology 82:131–144. Close , 148 Visser, M. E., M. Lindner, P. Gienapp, M. C. Long, and S. Jenouvrier (2022). Recent natural variability in global warming weakened phenological mismatch and selection on seasonal timing in great tits (Parus major). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288:20211337. Close ). Egg-laying dates in Belgium and the Netherlands have shifted ca. 11 days earlier in 3–4 decades (147 Matthysen, E., Adriaensen, F. and Dhondt, A.A. (2011). Multiple responses to increasing spring temperatures in the breeding cycle of Blue and Great Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus, Parus major). Global Change Biol. 17: 1-16. Close , 148 Visser, M. E., M. Lindner, P. Gienapp, M. C. Long, and S. Jenouvrier (2022). Recent natural variability in global warming weakened phenological mismatch and selection on seasonal timing in great tits (Parus major). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288:20211337. Close ). In addition, the total time to fledging has been shortened by 2–3 days (147 Matthysen, E., Adriaensen, F. and Dhondt, A.A. (2011). Multiple responses to increasing spring temperatures in the breeding cycle of Blue and Great Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus, Parus major). Global Change Biol. 17: 1-16. Close ), and second broods are more frequent (210 Visser, M. E., F. Adriaensen, J. H. van Balen, J. Blondel, A. A. Dhondt, S. van Dongen, C. du Feu, E. V. Ivankina, A. B. Kerimov, J. de Laet, E. Matthysen, R. McCleery, M. Orell, and D. L. Thomson (2003). Variable responses to large-scale climate change in European Parus populations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 270:367–372. Close ).

Extreme weather events are predicted to increase over time, and both hot and cold events reduce breeding success (211 Glądalski, M., A. Podstawczyńska, M. Bańbura, A. Kaliński, M. Markowski, J. Wawrzyniak, D. Mańkowska, P. Zieliński, A. Znajewska, J. Skwarska, and J. Bańbura (2022). Effect of extreme weather on the breeding parameters of great tits Parus major: comparison of two very different seasons. The European Zoological Journal 89(1):927–940. Close , 212 Pipoly, I., B. Preiszner, K. Sándor, C. Sinkovics, G. Seress, E. Vincze, V. Bókony, and A. Liker (2022). Extreme hot weather has stronger impacts on avian reproduction in forests than in cities. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10:825410. Close , 213 Solís, I., E. Álvarez, and E. Barba (2024). Effects of an extreme weather event over reproduction and survival of Great Tits (Parus major) in eastern Spain. Journal of Ornithology Close ). Experimentally-induced increase of nest temperatures by 1.6 °C result in smaller nestling size and growth rate, potentially influencing postfledging survival (214 Corregidor-Casto, A., and O. R. Jones (2021). The effect of nest temperature on growth and survival in juvenile Great Tits Parus major. Ecology and Evolution 11(12):7346–7353. Close ).

Effects of Invasive Species

The Great Tit are potentially displaced from nesting sites by invasive cavity-nesting species, such as the Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) in Europe and the Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) in Israel. The Great Tit often nests in smaller cavities than can fit those species, so only those Great Tit nesting in larger cavities are displaced. The is no evidence that Rose-ringed Parakeet has a negative impact on Great Tit populations in the UK (215 Newson, S. E., A. Johnston, D. Parrott, and D. I. Leech (2011). Evaluating the population-level impact of an invasive species, Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri, on native avifauna. Ibis 153:509–516. Close ). In Israel, 78% of Great Tit nesting in larger cavities were displaced by Common Myna and this resulted in significantly lowered breeding success (216 Charter, M., I. Izhaki, Y. B. Mocha, and S. Kark (2016). Nest-site competition between invasive and native cavity nesting birds and its implication for conservation. Journal of Environmental Management 181:129–134. Close ).

The introduced eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a nest predator in Europe (136 Broughton, R. K. (2020). Current and future impacts of nest predation and nest‐site competition by invasive eastern grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis on European birds. Mammal Review 50:38–51. Close ), but this does not have apparent effect on Great Tit populations in the UK (217 Newson, S. E., E. A. Rexstad, S. R. Baillie, S. T. Buckland, and N. J. Aebischer (2010). Population change of avian predators and grey squirrels in England: is there evidence for an impact on avian prey populations? Journal of Applied Ecology 47(2):244–252. Close ).

Shooting and Trapping

The Great Tit was formerly a popular cage bird in Europe, and flocks in winter were lured to traps with a whistle made from goose leg bones (218 Bechstein, J. M. (1888). The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them. Groombridge and Sons, London, UK. Close , 219 Cocker, M., and D. Tipling (2013). Birds and People. Random House, London, UK. Close ).

Pesticides and Other Contaminants/Toxics

Local populations of Great Tit in contaminated areas may show bioaccumulation of contaminants in their tissues, such as organochlorine compounds (220 Dauwe, T., S. G. Chu, A. Covaci, P. Schepens, and M. Eens (2003). Great Tit (Parus major) nestlings as biomonitors of organochlorine pollution. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 44:0089–0096. Close ), polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and organochlorine pesticides (221 Dauwe, T., V. L. B. Jaspers, A. Covaci, and M. Eens (2006). Accumulation of organochlorines and brominated flame retardants in the eggs and nestlings of Great Tits, Parus major. Environmental Science & Technology 40:5297–5303. Close ), and heavy metals (222 Dauwe, T., E. Janssens, L. Bervoets, R. Blust, and M. Eens (2005). Heavy-metal concentrations in female laying Great Tits (Parus major) and their clutches. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 49:249–256. Close , 223 Costa, R. A., T. Eeva, C. Eira, J Vaqueiro, and J. V. Vingada (2012). Assessing heavy metal pollution using Great Tits (Parus major): feathers of excrements from nestlings and adults. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 185:5339–5344. Close ).

Heavy metal exposure impairs nestling growth (224 Janssens, E., T. Dauwe, R. Pinxten, L. Bervoets, R. Blust, and M. Eens (2003). Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of nestlings of the great tit (Parus major), a small songbird species. Environmental Pollution 126(2):267–274. Close ), reduces hatching and fledgling success (225 Sens, E. J., T. Dauwe, R. Pinxten, and M. Eens (2003). Breeding performance of great tits (Parus major) along a gradient of heavy metal pollution. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 22(5):1140–1145. Close ), and reduces adult humoral immune response (226 Snoeijs, T., T. Dauwe, R. Pinxten, F. Vandesande, and M. Eens (2004). Heavy metal exposure affects the humoral immune response in a free-living small songbird, the Great Tit (Parus major). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 46:399–404. Close ), but does not have a clear impact on adult morphology (227 Dauwe, T., E. Janssens, and M. Eens (2006). Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of adult great tits (Parus major). Environmental Pollution 140(1):71–78. Close ).

Information needed.