Blue and great tits hatch earliest on record in Oulu

Blue and great tits have hatched earlier than ever recorded in Oulu, northern Finland, with the first chicks observed on 16 May, according to researchers at the University of Oulu.

Students monitoring nests on the city’s Hietasaari island discovered the newly hatched chicks on Saturday, marking an unusually early start to the breeding season. Veli-Matti Pakanen, a university lecturer, confirmed that egg-laying began as early as mid-April—about two weeks ahead of the typical schedule.

The accelerated timeline is attributed to an exceptionally warm early spring, though Pakanen noted that not all bird species are nesting earlier. Migratory birds, for example, are following their usual patterns.

The early hatchings carry risks, as food availability may not yet match the chicks’ needs. Blue and great tits are common species, unlike the endangered willow tit, which faces greater conservation challenges.