An acrobat among the leaves
The blue tit even searches for food upside down.
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A blue cap and wings, white cheeks and a dark line beside the eyes help identify Cyanistes caeruleus. Its yellowish breast adds to the contrast. But watch how it moves too: the University of Évora describes this small bird hopping along branches and hanging upside down as it feeds.
Among the leaves, it searches for insects and spiders. In autumn and winter, fruits and seeds may also form part of its diet. Its food is therefore not a fixed list for every season: what it finds in the landscape changes.
The blue tit is resident and occurs across mainland Portugal. The Gulbenkian profile describes a range of wooded habitats, from woods and riverside trees to orchards, hedges and gardens. A garden and a wooded riverbank offer different settings in which to learn about this bird. These sources explain the species in Portugal; they do not document an encounter in a parish of Cabeceiras.
Source and context
University of Évora — Biodiversity of Mitra: Cyanistes caeruleus
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation / João E. Rabaça — Blue Chapim
Accessed: . Editorial summary; the date of consultation is not the date of the facts.