three genres of the titmice is widespread over the whole northern Erdhalbkugel and Africa. All also in Europe of occurring types belongs into the type of the forest-titmice (Parus).
Spread The cabbage-titmouse lives in world the cold (almost as far as to the arctic timberline), restrained and subtropical regions of the northern elderly. As habitat, it uses open and forested terrain, mainly Mischwald with many bushes. Only rarely, the cabbage-titmouse occurs in pure needle-forest. Not to be found at all, it is in the Tundrenzone and in the dense Fichtentaiga. it almost advances in the restrained widths as far as to the montanen timberline (in South-China until 4300 m).
Cabbage-titmice are stand-birds mainly. The strong geographical arrangement is after it to be led back in race-circles since the suitable habitats often are of each other separate (insulate) through "uninhabitable terrain." The individuals of such group differ in height and coloring. Therefore, members of the same type cannot often recognize any more than reproductive-partners. The individual races therefore behave like member more different manner here and there against each other.
Shape Our native cabbage-titmouse is a big titmouse with 14 cm of length, that easily at its black-and-white head and at the black longitudinal-bond that proceeds over the yellow underside, to recognize, is. In forests, parks, gardens and actually everywhere, where trees stand, it is frequent.
More than the other titmice the cabbage-titmouse looks for food at the ground, but also from the trees and bushes, it collects insects, spiders, seeds and nuts from. it consumes berries like leaf and bloom-buds just as-gladly beside it.
Reproduction During the winter, the birds visit sleep-caves individually to the overnight stay. The male lets sound its precinct-chant in the surroundings of its sleep-cave already in the middle of the winter, the actual brood-precinct is established approximately in March. If one pair is educated, the sleep-cave of the female turns into the brood-cave.
As the most differently natural or artificial cavities offer for many titmice in trees, walls and at buildings a suitable Nistmöglichkeit. Also the abandoned Nisthöhlen of woodpeckers, kingfishers and shore-swallows are liked to assume.
From end March (in the south) to beginning of May (in the north), the female builds the nest. It molds moss, roots, lichens and grass-stalks to a lump, that is padded with hair and plant-wool. So, the nest offers a good heat-isolation for the 8-10 eggs, on which the female broods 13-14 days. The brood-beginning takes place only with the last egg, previously, the incomplete nest is covered with nest-material after the daily deposit of the eggs. The brooding female is fed by the male. If bedunten nest-stools slipped the gray, care is taken of them by both alto-birds. Only after 15-22 days, they leave the nest; after further 2 - 4 weeks, the boys are really independent.
While only one yearly-brood is reared in the south and west of the spread-area, it is in the east and north two.
Enemies A multiplicity of natural enemies and a high mortality rate face the high reproductive-installment in cold winters. Find a cabbage-titmouse no food half a day after a cold winter-night, it starves. If an overcrowding nevertheless occurs in an area, mass-hikes place one, with which thousand can be overcome by kilometers, usually already in the late summer or early-autumn.
Scientific name: