Scientific name:
Paridae

Natural spread:
northern hemisphere

in the modern system carries the names "Titmice", in fact the tail-titmice (Aegithalidae), the bag-titmice (Remizidae) and the actual titmice (Paridae) three families.

Types, shape 3 types (with approximately 45 types) of 9-20 cm long, small and active tree and shrub-birds include more final. The type of the forest-titmice (Parus) is the biggest, among which also the 6 are in Germany of represented types, over 40 types under them as well: the blue tit (Parus caeruleus), the bonnet-titmouse (Parus cristatus), the cabbage-titmouse, the swamp-titmouse, the fir-titmouse and the pasture-titmouse. The plumage is very colorful (yellow, green, black, white or blue) with some types, with others against it more simple (brown and white); Sex-differences are hardly recognizable. Some types wear a "bonnet."

Spread The titmice are widespread over the whole northern hemisphere and Africa with exception of the polar-areas. While the northern populations of some types move into more restrained widths in the autumn, can survive others the cold season than stand-birds. Exactly the stand-bird-behavior led to the formation of many subtypes, because the populations of geographically separate habitats could not mix again and again so. Outside the incubation, the birds join together to small troops and wander through its habitat on the search of insects and also fatty seeds.

Reproduction The titmice are cave-breeders. In wall-niches, tree-caves and Nagerbauten, they erect its nest from moss, wool, feathers and animal-hairs. While the nest contains 8-14 eggs in the cold and restrained regions, it is 3 or 4 in the tropics. The death rate increased particularly through feed-lack in the winter is evened out with it and the continuance is secured. The eggs are scored points white and reddish.