Known for their striking yellow breast feathers and distinctive song, great tits are a common sight in gardens and countryside alike. Now, new research has revealed that some great tits may be more brightly coloured that others, with urban birds found to have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts.
The latest study, led by researchers at Lund University, Sweden, and the University of Glasgow, analysed feather samples from great tits in cities and forests around Europe. The researchers found that urban great tits are often noticeably paler than their countryside relatives, with dietary differences thought to be the main cause.
Feather colour plays a number of significant roles in bird health. Colouring can influence mating selection, deterring predators and camouflage, and can therefore strongly impact a bird’s survival chances and likelihood of reproductive success.
The distinctive yellow colour in the great tit’s feathers comes from pigments called carotenoids which are found in food sources. The great tits get these nutrients from the insects they eat, who, in turn get carotenoids from the plants they feed on. This new research suggests that urban great tits are not able to consume as many carotenoids from their food as their countryside counterparts, and possibly fewer than they might need to stay as healthy.
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Posted On: 14/08/2023