A Very Colourful Blue Tit

[welshgold]

Is this Blue Tit this colourful because of the time of the year?, maybe it needs a good coat to survive the cold winter?

[namdrib]

maybe well fed or ready for joys of spring, blue tits and goldfinchs in my garden are looking bright as well

[Anomalous]

It is an adult and probably male (brighter coloured than females). It may also be an older bird, as they often assume deeper colours as they get older.

Then, a lot of birds are approaching their breeding plumage, now. When they moult all their body feathers in autumn, the new feathers have dull tips to them, so that the birds look duller in early winter. As winter progresses, though, those dull tips wear away; so that, in early spring, the bright part of the feather below is visible and the plumage looks at its brightest for breeding.

I suspect both things apply to your bird.

Ian

[welshgold]

Thanks for both of your replies, great stuff, the breeding plumage info sounds about right, the colours looked almost Kingfisher bright in the flesh if that makes sense