African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae)
Species
African Blue Tit . Ssp. teneriffae. Taken at Las Canãdas, Tenerife, on February 28th 2009.
Ssp. teneriffae. Taken at Las Canãdas, Tenerife, on February 28th 2009.
(1/160th sec at f5.7. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae). Ssp. ultramarinus. Taken at Betancuria, Tenerife, on March 11th 2018.
Ssp. ultramarinus. Taken at Betancuria, Tenerife, on March 11th 2018.
(1/160th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)

Description

L: 11 - 12 cm

The African Blue Tit used to be considered as conspecific with the Blue Tit, but is now a separate species. It has a darker blue crown than the Blue Tit, a blue-grey mantle and a different call. The Canary Islands subspecies are ultramarinus on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, teneriffae on Tenerife, La Gomera and Gran Canaria, palmensis on La Palma, and ombriosus on El Hierro.

It is found in north Africa and on the Canary Islands.

Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

Its behaviour is similar to the Blue Tit.

Sightings

14-Mar-2018 : Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (1)
11-Mar-2018 : Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (1)
05-Mar-2009 : Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
28-Feb-2009 : Tenerife, Canary Islands
27-Feb-2009 : Tenerife, Canary Islands