Blue Tit or Great Tit?

These two get mixed up constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from each bird's own page.

Illustration of a blue tit

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Look at the belly and the head. A great tit has a broad black stripe running down the centre of a yellow belly, and a glossy black head with clean white cheeks. A blue tit has an unbroken yellow belly and a blue cap, not a black one. The great tit is also noticeably bigger and blunter.

Illustration of a great tit

Great Tit

Parus major

Blue tit has a blue cap and a dark line through the eye, and no black stripe down the belly. Great tit's head is solid glossy black with white cheeks, and that black belly stripe runs unbroken from throat to legs.

Side by side

Blue TitGreat Tit
Size Smaller than a robin at about 12cm — one of the smallest birds at most feeders About robin-sized, but chunkier and longer-bodied — the biggest of the UK tits.
Where you'll see it Feeders, the outer twigs of trees and shrubs, and any hole it can peer into Feeders, hedges and tree canopy; drops to the lawn and to the bird bath.
What it eats Insects and caterpillars in summer; seeds, nuts and fat in winter Caterpillars and insects in the breeding season; sunflower hearts, peanuts and suet the rest of the year.
When Resident, all twelve months Resident all year, most obvious at feeders from October to March.
Status Green listed Green listed

Still not sure? Describe what you saw and we will rank every garden bird against it — including these two.

Both descriptions are taken from the species pages, which cite the BTO and RSPB. Reviewed 2026-09-20.