Family: Paridae
The tits, chickadees, and titmice are part of the family Paridae, small passerine birds mainly found in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Eurasian and African species are referred to as “tits,” while North American ones are known as “chickadees,” named for their distinctive alarm call, or “titmice.” The term “titmouse” combines the Old English “mase” and “tit,” meaning small.
Appearance
These birds are typically small, stocky woodland species with short, stout bills, ranging from 10 to 22 cm (3.9 to 8.7 in) in length. They have a mixed diet of seeds and insects and are known to readily visit bird feeders. Most species have similar appearances, with the body length for adults ranging from 10 to 16 cm (3.9 to 6.3 in), while weights vary from 5 to 49 g (0.18 to 1.73 oz). Bill sizes differ based on diet, with insect-eaters having finer bills and seed-eaters possessing stouter ones.
Diet
As generalist insectivores, tits consume a variety of small insects, seeds, and nuts, particularly in winter. They often forage by hanging upside down and use a technique called hold-hammering to break open larger prey or seeds. Many species cache food for winter.
Habitat
The distribution of tits spans Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. The genus Poecile ranges from Europe to southern Mexico, where its members are known as chickadees. The coal tit has a broad distribution, while the crested tit species have more restricted ranges in Europe and central Asia.
The genus Baeolophus is found only in North America, while Parus includes the great tit, which ranges from Western Europe to Indonesia. Cyanistes is distributed across Europe and Asia, reaching into northern Africa, and other genera like Pseudopodoces, Sylviparus, and Melanochlora are exclusive to Asia.
Behavior
Tits are active, vocal, and social birds, territorial during breeding but often forming mixed-species flocks in non-breeding seasons. Highly intelligent and adaptable, they can distinguish between threats, engage in mobbing behavior, and avoid their nests when predators are near to protect their young.
Most tits nest in trees, with varying clutch sizes; blue tits can lay up to 19 eggs. Many species are multibrooded to cope with harsh conditions. African tit species and Pseudopodoces exhibit cooperative breeding, with stable flocks during nonbreeding seasons. While the blue tit is typically polygynous, others are mostly monogamous, with courtship feeding common among breeding pairs.
Gallery
