Great tits on a branch during winter

© Eric Ferry/Alam

Four’s company. Great tits on branch

This colourful foursome resting on a tree limb is a group of great tits, one of the most common bird species seen across most of Europe and Asia and in parts of North Africa. Numbers of great tits have grown considerably in the UK since the 1970s, where their colourful plumage and acrobatic antics make them a popular visitor to gardens. In winter, they join blue tits and others to roam gardens and the countryside, looking for food. They are not always team players, however. As the largest UK tit, they have been known to get aggressive with smaller birds vying for scarce winter snacks at the bird table.