Paridae: Tits
Tits are plump, short-billed songbirds found in woodlands nearly throughout Eurasia, Africa, and North America. Bold and inquisitive when foraging, many typical tits of the temperate zone such as the Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), Willow Tit (Poecile montanus), and Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees (P. atricapillus and carolinensis) are familiar visitors to backyard bird feeders. An omnivorous diet of insects, larvae, berries, and seeds enables such species to remain year-round in the same woodlot or suburban neighborhood, exploiting the seasonal succession of resources. Many are known to squirrel away food items, investing in a strategy of long-term local residency.
Taxonomy
The species-level classification of the Paridae has undergone revisions that have resulted in the recognition of some closely related forms as separate species and also the lumping of formerly recognized species as forms of a single species. Some forms have been reclassified multiple times—for example, the Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) was originally described as a species, then lumped together with Tufted, then restored to species status. With several cases remaining open to review, the family comprises somewhere in the range of approximately 67 to 83 species.
Fire-capped Tit (Cephalopyrus flammiceps)
Yellow-browed Tit (Sylviparus modestus)
Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea)
“Yellow crested Sultan Tit” (M. s. sultanea)
“Black crested Sultan Tit” (M. s. gayeti)
Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
“British Coal Tit” (P. a. britannicus)
“Eurasian Coal Tit” (P. a. ater)
“Atlas Coal Tit” (P. a. ledouci)
“Cyprus Coal Tit” (P. a. cypriotes)
“Caucasus Coal Tit” (P. a. phaeonotus)
“Spot-winged Coal Tit” (P. a. melanolophus)
“Himalayan Coal Tit” (P. a. aemodius)
“Chinese Coal Tit” (P. a. ptilosus)
Rufous-naped Tit (Periparus rufonuchalis)
Rufous-vented Tit (Periparus rubidiventris)
Yellow-bellied Tit (Pardaliparus venustulus)
Elegant Tit (Pardaliparus elegans)
Palawan Tit (Pardaliparus amabilis)
Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi)
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus)
Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi)
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
Gray-crested Tit (Lophophanes dichrous)
Varied Tit (Sittiparus varius)
Owston’s Tit (Sittiparus owstoni)
Iriomote Tit (Sittiparus olivaceus)
Chestnut-bellied Tit (Sittiparus castaneoventris)
White-fronted Tit (Sittiparus semilarvatus)
White-browed Tit (Poecile superciliosus)
Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris)
Pere David’s Tit (Poecile davidi)
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Caspian Tit (Poecile hyrcanus)
Black-bibbed Tit (Poecile hypermelaenus)
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
“Willow Tit” (P. m. montanus)
“Songar Tit” (P. m. songarus)
Sichuan Tit (Poecile weigoldicus)
Gray-headed Chickadee (Poecile cinctus)
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)
“Rocky Mountain Chickadee” (P. g. gambeli)
“Bailey’s Chickadee” (P. g. baileyae)
Mexican Chickadee (Poecile sclateri)
Azure Tit (Cyanistes cyanus)
“Azure Tit” (C. c. cyanus)
“Yellow-breasted Tit” (C. c. flavipectus)
Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Palma Blue Tit (Cyanistes palmensis)
Libyan Blue Tit (Cyanistes cyrenaicae)
Canary Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae)
Ultramarine Tit (Cyanistes ultramarinus)
Ground Tit (Pseudopodoces humilis)
Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus)
Great Tit (Parus major)
“Great Tit” (P. m. major)
“Turkestan Tit” (P. m. bokharensis)
Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)
Japanese Tit (Parus minor)
“Japanese Tit” (P. m. minor)
“Chinese Tit” (P. m. commixtus)
“Amami Tit” (P. m. amamiensis)
“Okinawa Tit” (P. m. okinawae)
“Ishigaki Tit” (P. m. nigriloris)
White-naped Tit (Machlolophus nuchalis)
Yellow Tit (Machlolophus holsti)
Himalayan Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys)
Indian Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus aplonotus)
Yellow-cheeked Tit (Machlolophus spilonotus)
White-shouldered Black-Tit (Melaniparus guineensis)
White-winged Black-Tit (Melaniparus leucomelas)
Rufous-bellied Tit (Melaniparus rufiventris)
Cinnamon-breasted Tit (Melaniparus pallidiventris)
White-bellied Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
Carp’s Tit (Melaniparus carpi)
Southern Black-Tit (Melaniparus niger)
Dusky Tit (Melaniparus funereus)
Miombo Tit (Melaniparus griseiventris)
Stripe-breasted Tit (Melaniparus fasciiventer)
Acacia Tit (Melaniparus thruppi)
Red-throated Tit (Melaniparus fringillinus)
White-backed Black-Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus)
Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens)
Gray Tit (Melaniparus afer)
References
Boyd, J.H., 2019. Taxonomy in Flux: Paroidea. http://jboyd.net/Taxo/List21.html#paroidea. (Posted August 5, 2019. Accessed January 25, 2022.)
Harrap, S., and D. Quinn. 1995. Chickadees, Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers. Princeton University Press.
Roberson, D. 2020. Bird Families of the World: Parids, Paridae, http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/tits.html. (Posted August 21, 2020. Accessed January 25, 2022.)
Text © Russell Fraker / February 2, 2022