- Lifespan
- 2–3 years on average in the wild, with maximum recorded age around 14 years
- Size & Weight
- 11–12 cm long, wingspan 15–17 cm; 7–12 g
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed woodlands, parks, gardens, and hedgerows with mature trees and shrubs.
- UK Distribution
- Resident throughout the UK year-round, found in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland; populations increase in winter with continental migrants.
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, and their larvae in spring and summer; seeds and berries, particularly from teasels and ivy, in autumn and winter.
- Prey
- Small insects including aphids, caterpillars, beetles, and spiders; also feeds on pollen and buds.
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, Eurasian jays, domestic cats, and occasionally other raptors; eggs and nestlings vulnerable to magpies and great spotted woodpeckers.
- Mating Season
- March to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 7–12 eggs (occasionally up to 16), incubation 12–14 days, fledging 16–22 days; typically one brood per year, occasionally two.
- Behaviour
- Highly social and acrobatic, often seen hanging from twigs and branches while foraging. Forms flocks in winter, frequently visiting garden bird feeders alongside great tits. Males are territorial in breeding season and produce a distinctive loud, repetitive song.