Evergreen Holm Oak Research Articles

The timing of breeding and clutch size of blue tits (Parus caeruleus) in an evergreen Holm oak habitat in Southern Spain

Blue tits breeding in an evergreen Holm Oak forest in Southern Spain have the earliest breeding period recorded for the species in Europe and northern Africa. Their clutch sizes fall within the ranges known for the Mediterranean Evergreen Oak belt. The populations of Corsica, where breeding starts two months later, and those of Andalusia, illustrate the wide seasonal variations of the breeding season of this species in the Mediterranean zone. Such a variation is probably due to differences in food availability and climatic constraints between different areas. Lower values of food availability obviously do not allow the production of large clutch sizes.