SQUARE OF PASSENGERS (Passeriformes)
FAMILY BLUE (Paridae)
Every bird lover knows this yellow-chested, energetic bird the size of a sparrow. At first glance, all great tits seem to be the same, but if you look closely, you will notice that some have a thinner black stripe on the chest and abdomen than others. They are females. A rich black, widening stripe on the abdomen is a distinctive feature of males. In summer, young birds can also be identified by color. Their plumage is generally duller, which is especially noticeable on the yellowish cheeks.
Habitat
Inhabits various forest stands, occurs in all settlements. The titmouse can be seen especially often in autumn and winter.
Migrations
Most of the forest birds move to settlements in the cold season.
Reproduction
With the lengthening of daylight hours, already in January, males try to sing, delighting us in a silent winter with a simple, but ringing song: "tsi-tsi-ding, tsi-tsi-ding." The great tit is a typical hollow nest. Occupies natural hollows and crevices in tree trunks, hollows created by woodpeckers, as well as titmouses, birdhouses, nest boxes. In the absence of the necessary shelters, tits are able to hollow out a hollow in a rotten trunk on their own. In settlements, birds build their nests in the voids of reinforced concrete pillars, as well as in vertical iron pipes - fence supports.
The first clutch, consisting of 6–19 (usually 9–12) white eggs with red specks, is formed in April – May. Incubation takes 12-14 days. Only the female incubates the clutch, moreover, if you look into the titmouse, lifting the removable roof, the bird begins to hiss, makes false throws, but does not leave eggs and even more so chicks. Hatching of chicks lasts three to five days. They fly out on the 16-17th day.
During the summer, a couple has two broods. This fecundity partly explains the high abundance of birds. At the same time, this is a necessary measure, since, according to statistics, only one out of ten titmice survive until spring. The nests in the hollows are often ruined by the turtleneck, in order to occupy the housing of the tits afterwards. Ermine, weasel or red forest ants can also reach chicks or eggs.
Food
In the spring and summer, tits feed mainly on invertebrates. Beginning in autumn, the proportion of plant feeds increases greatly: all kinds of seeds, cereal grains. The big tit is a regular visitor to the feeders. In addition to seeds and nuts, she willingly pecks on unsalted bacon or fat. She does not make supplies, like some other tits, but often plunders other people's caches. Cases of attacks of great tits on smaller, weakened birds are known.
Tits (Parus) are a fairly numerous genus of birds belonging to the Tit family and the Passeriformes order. The common representative of the genus is the great tit (Parus major), which has become quite widespread in many regions of Russia.
Tit description
The word "tit" was formed from the name "blue", therefore it is directly related to the color of the blue tit bird (Cyanistes caeruleus), which previously belonged to the genus of tits. Many species that previously belonged to real tits have now been transferred to the category of other genera: Sittiparus, Machlolophus, Periarus, Melaniparus, Pseudopodoces, blue tit (Poecile) and blue tit (Cyanistés).
Appearance
Subspecies belong to the Tit family: long-tailed and thick-billed tits... In the world today there are more than a hundred known and fairly well-studied bird species belonging to this genus, but still it is customary to consider now only those birds that are included in the tit family as true titmice. Representatives of the species Gray tit are characterized by a wide black stripe along the abdomen, as well as the absence of a crest. The main specific difference is the gray color of the back, black cap, white spots on the cheeks and light chest. The belly is white, with a central black stripe.
It is interesting! The uppertail is ash-colored, and the tail feathers are blackish. The undertail is also black in the central part and a characteristic white color on the sides.
The great tit is a mobile, rather fidgety bird, with a body length of 13-17 cm, with an average weight in the range of 14-21 g and a wingspan of no more than 22-26 cm. eyes white cheeks, olive-colored top and yellowish bottom. The numerous subspecies of this species differ in some very noticeable variations in the color of the plumage.
Character and lifestyle
It is incredibly difficult for the naughty tit to hide or stay in the same place for a long time. Such a bird is accustomed to constant movement, but it is an absolutely unpretentious feathered creature in terms of its habitat. Among other things, tits have no rivals in agility, mobility and curiosity, and thanks to their tenacious and very strong paws, such a small bird is capable of performing many tricks, including all kinds of somersaults.
Thanks to the well-developed legs, titmouses survive even in unfavorable conditions, being at a great distance from their nest. Attaching with claws to the surface of the branch, the bird quickly falls asleep, becoming similar in appearance to a small and very fluffy lump. It is this feature that saves her during too strong winter cold. The lifestyle of all titmice is predominantly sedentary, but some species, according to the observations of experts, tend to migrate periodically.
Nevertheless, each species of tits has only their inherent, most characteristic features, and the qualities that unite all representatives of the genus are beautiful and memorable plumage, incredibly mischievous behavior and simply breathtakingly slender, loud singing.
The process of molting in birds of this species in natural conditions occurs only once every twelve months.
It is interesting! The gray tit, as a rule, is observed in pairs, but sometimes such birds are combined in small intraspecific groups or with other species of birds. The so-called mixed flocks are more productive in the search for food during the hungry season.
By their nature, absolutely all types of tits are classified as the most real orderlies of nature. Adults actively destroy a huge number of many harmful insects, thus saving green spaces from death. For example, in order to feed its offspring, one family of tits needs to clear more than four dozen trees from pests. To communicate with each other, titmouse birds use a special "squeaky" chirp, vaguely reminiscent of the loud and melodic sounds of "hsin-hsin-hsin".
How many tits live
The life of a titmouse in natural conditions is very short and, as a rule, is only three years. When kept in captivity, the Great Tit can live even up to fifteen years. Nevertheless, the total lifespan of such an unusual feathered pet directly depends on many factors, including adherence to the maintenance regime and feeding rules.
Sexual dimorphism
Females of the gray tit have a narrower and duller stripe on the abdomen.... The females of the great tit are very similar in appearance to the males, but in general, they have a slightly duller coloration of the plumage, therefore the black tones in the head and chest area are distinguished by a dark gray tint, and the collar and black stripe on the belly is somewhat thinner and may be interrupted ...
Tit species
According to the data provided by the base of the International Union of Ornithologists, the genus Parus includes four species:
- Gray tit (Parus cinereus) - a species that includes several subspecies, which some time ago belonged to the species Great Tit (Parus major);
- Bolshak, or Great tit (Parus major) - the largest and most numerous species;
- Eastern, or Japanese tit (Parus minor) - a species represented by several subspecies at once, which do not differ in mixing or frequent hybridization;
- Greenback tit (Parus monticolus).
Until recently, the species Eastern, or Japanese tit was classified as a subspecies of the great tit, but thanks to the efforts of Russian researchers, it was possible to establish that these two species simply coexist quite successfully.
Habitat, habitats
The gray tit is represented by thirteen subspecies:
- R.c. ambiguus - an inhabitant of the Malacca Peninsula and the island of Sumatra;
- P.c. caschmirensis with a gray spot on the back of the head - an inhabitant of the north-east of Afghanistan, the north of Pakistan and the north-west of India;
- P.c. cinereus Vieillot is a nominative subspecies that lives on the island of Java and on the Sunda Lesser Islands;
- P.c. desоlorans Koelz - inhabitant of the north-east of Afghanistan and north-west of Pakistan;
- P.c. hаinanus E.J.O. Hartert - an inhabitant of the Hainan Island;
- P.c. intеrmеdius Zarudny - inhabitant of the north-east of Iran and north-west of Turkmenistan;
- P.c. mаhrаttаrum E.J.O. Hartert - an inhabitant of the northwest of India and the island of Sri Lanka;
- P.c. plаnorum E.J.O. Hartert - inhabitant of the north of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, central and west of Myanmar;
- P.c. sаrawacensis Slаter - an inhabitant of the island of Kalimantan;
- P.c. sturay Koelz - an inhabitant of the west, central and north-east of India;
- P.c. temrlоrum Meyer de Sсhauensee - an inhabitant of the central part and west of Thailand, south of Indochina;
- P.c. vаuriеi Riрley - inhabitant of the north-east of India;
- P.c. ziаratensis Whistler - an inhabitant of the central part and south of Afghanistan, west of Pakistan.
The great tit is an inhabitant of the entire territory of the Middle East and Europe, it is found in North and Central Asia, inhabits some areas of North Africa. Fifteen subspecies of the great tit have a slightly different habitat:
- P.m. rаhrоdite - inhabitant of the south of Italy, the south of Greece, the islands of the Aegean Sea and Cyprus;
- P.m. blаnfоrdi - inhabitant of the north of Iraq, north, north of the central part and southwestern part of Iran;
- P.m. bokhаrеnsis - inhabitant of the territory of Turkmenistan, north of Afghanistan, south of the central part in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan;
- P.m. сorsus - inhabitant of the territory of Portugal, southern Spain and Corsica;
- P.m. eski - an inhabitant of the territories of Sardinia;
- P.m. exсesus - an inhabitant of the northwest of Africa, from the territory of the western part of Morocco to the northwestern part of Tunisia;
- P.m. fеrghаnеnsis - an inhabitant of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the western part of China;
- P.m. karustini - an inhabitant of the southeast of Kazakhstan or the Dzhungarskiy Alatau, the extreme northwestern part of China and Mongolia, Transbaikalia, the territories of the upper reaches of the Amur and Primorye, the northern part to the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk;
- P.m. kаrеlini - inhabitant of the southeast of Azerbaijan and the northwest of Iran;
- P.m. majоr is a typical inhabitant of continental Europe, north and east from the central part, and the northern part of Spain, the Balkans and northern Italy, Siberia to the east up to Lake Baikal, southward to the Altai Mountains, eastern and northern Kazakhstan, found in Asia Minor, hectares The Caucasus and Azerbaijan, with the exception of the southeastern part;
- P.m. mаllorsae - inhabitant of the Balearic Islands;
- P.m. newtoni - inhabitant of the British Isles, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the northwestern part of France;
- P.m. niethammeri - an inhabitant of the territories of Crete;
- P.m. terraesanctae - inhabitant of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan and northeastern Egypt;
- P.m. turkеstaniсus is an inhabitant of the southeastern part of Kazakhstan and the southwestern territories of Mongolia.
In the wild, representatives of the species are found in various forest zones, most often in the most open areas and on the edges, and also settles along the banks of natural reservoirs.
Eastern, or Japanese titmouse is represented by nine subspecies:
- P.m. аmаmiensis - inhabitant of the northern Ryukyu Islands;
- P.m. commixtus - inhabitant of the south of China and the north of Vietnam;
- P.m. dаgeletensis - inhabitant of Ulleungdo Island near Korea;
- P.m. kаgоshimae - inhabitant of the south of Kyushu island and Goto islands;
- P.m. minоr - inhabitant of the east of Siberia, the south of Sakhalin, the east of the central part and northeast of China, Korea and Japan;
- P.m. nigrilоris - inhabitant of the south of the Ryukyu Islands;
- P.m. nubiсlus - inhabitant of the east of Myanmar, the north of Thailand and the north-west of Indochina;
- P.m. okinawae - inhabitant of the center of the Ryukyu Islands;
- P.m. tibetanus - an inhabitant of the southeast of Tibet, southwest and south of the central part of China, north of Myanmar.
The green-backed tit has spread in Bangladesh and Bhutan, in China and India, and also inhabits Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The natural habitats of this species are boreal forests and forest zones in temperate latitudes, subtropics and tropical lowland humid forests.
Tit diet
During the period of active reproduction, tits feed on small invertebrates, as well as their larvae. Feathered orderlies destroy a huge variety of forest pests. Nevertheless, the basis of the feed ration of any tit during this period is most often represented by:
- caterpillars of butterflies;
- spiders;
- weevils and other bugs;
- dipterans, including flies, mosquitoes and midges;
- Hemiptera living creatures, including bedbugs.
Also, titmice eat cockroaches, orthoptera in the form of grasshoppers and crickets, small dragonflies, retinoptera, earwigs, ants, ticks and millipedes. An adult bird is quite capable of feasting on bees, from which the sting is previously removed... With the onset of spring, tits can hunt such prey as dwarf bats, which, after coming out of hibernation, still remain inactive and quite accessible to birds. Chicks are fed, as a rule, by caterpillars of all kinds of butterflies, the body length of which is no more than 10 mm.
In autumn and winter, the role of various plant feeds, including hazel and European beech seeds, significantly increases in the titmouse's diet. Birds feed on fields and sown areas with waste grain of corn, rye, oats and wheat.
The birds that live in the northwestern territories of Russia often feed on the fruits and seeds of some of the most common plants:
- spruce and pine;
- maple and linden;
- lilac;
- birch;
- horse sorrel;
- pickulniks;
- burdock;
- red elderberry;
- irgi;
- rowan;
- blueberries;
- hemp and sunflower.
The main difference between the great tit and other species of this genus, including the blue tit and the Muscovy, is the lack of its own reserves for the winter. Such a dexterous and very mobile bird is able to very skillfully find food that was collected and hidden in the fall by other birds. According to experts, sometimes representatives of the Great Tit species can eat various carrion.
To feed, tits often visit bird feeders in cities and parks, where they feed on sunflower seeds, food leftovers and bread crumbs, as well as butter and pieces of unsalted bacon. Also, food is obtained in the crowns of trees, as a rule, on the lower tiers of plants and in the foliage of the undergrowth or shrubs.
It is interesting! It is the great tit among all the passerines that has the largest list of objects for hunting, and having killed the tap dance, common oatmeal, pied flycatcher, yellow-headed beetle or bat, the feathered predator easily pecks out their brains.
Fruits with too hard shells, including nuts, are pre-broken with a beak. Predation is inherent in great tits. Representatives of this species are well known as permanent and typical scavengers, feeding on the carcasses of various ungulate mammals.
Great tit has adapted perfectly to the landscape created by man. This nimble bird can often be seen near buildings, in gardens and city parks, and people everywhere welcome it as a loyal ally in the fight against insect pests.
Habitat. Lives in Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Habitat.
The great tit lives in Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The southern border of its range runs through North Africa, Israel, Iran and Ceylon, and in the north it reaches the polar tundra. This bird can be found in the vastness of Eurasia from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Some tits live sedentary, and birds nesting in the north migrate for the winter to regions with a milder climate.
Species: Great tit - Parus major.
Family: Titmice.
Order: Passerines.
Class: Birds.
Subtype: Vertebrates.
Did you know?
The great tit is the largest of all European titmice.
During the day, the body temperature of the tit is 42 ° C, and at night it drops to 39 ° C. The heart of this bird beats at a frequency of 500 beats per minute, and with strong arousal, the frequency of contractions increases to 1000 beats per minute.
A titmouse eats more feed per day than it weighs itself. A pair of tits, feeding nine chicks, daily delivers about 1800 insects and larvae to their offspring. During their stay in the nest, chicks eat about 15,000 insects and caterpillars.
On an area of 10 hectares, great tits can kill 150,000 insects and caterpillars.
Great tits are surprisingly brave, agile and quick-witted. In some places they are so accustomed to the presence of people that they take food directly from their hands.
The sharp beak serves as a multipurpose titmouse. The bird gouges the hollows with them, breaks the hard shells of nuts and seeds and picks out the larvae from under the bark. The beak grows continuously as it wears down.
Security.
In many countries, the great tit, like its other relatives, is under protection, although its population is very numerous and the bird is not threatened with extinction. Having long appreciated the great merits of these birds in the fight against dangerous pests of crops and forests, people feed them in the winter, and in the spring they hang out nest boxes, which quickly find owners. Tits living in cities often break on transparent showcases or glazed walls of high-rise buildings, so it is recommended to stick images of birds of prey on such surfaces that scare away all feathery trifles from dangerous obstacles.
Lifestyle.
In the nesting season, the male great tit occupies a home area and defends its borders from other relatives, but in autumn and winter these sociable birds gather in flocks, often uniting with other species of tits. Life in a flock helps to notice danger in time and find food. The composition of such a flock is constantly changing: some birds fly away, others nailed to the group. Tits are very vociferous and communicate with each other with a rich set of whistles and trills. At the end of winter, tit flocks begin to disintegrate. Males claim their rights to certain areas, and a little later females start wandering in an effort to find a partner. The diet of tits is very diverse: in spring and summer they feed on all kinds of insects and their larvae, and in winter they feed on larvae and spiders hidden under the bark. With no less appetite, they eat plant seeds, beech and hazelnuts, ash, maple, euonymus, yew and hawthorn seeds. In autumn, tits often feast on the pulp and seeds of overripe fruits, and in the snowy winter they flock to the feeding troughs in noisy flocks. In search of prey, these restless birds run briskly along the branches, often even upside down. Their natural enemies include small feathered predators, weasels, ferrets and martens, while squirrels and crows often destroy their nests.
Reproduction.
In the spring, the male titmouse first of all occupies a home area and immediately notifies rivals and neighbors about this with sonorous trills, which at the same time attract females. Noticing a possible partner, the male, for greater importance, puffs up his shirt-front and begins to flutter nervously around the chosen one. If the female likes the cavalier, she crouches on a branch, opening her wings and beak, and requires a treat, and the male tries to feed her (perhaps in this way the female checks whether the future spouse will be able to feed the chicks). Then the male shows his girlfriend the place he has chosen for the nest, which can become a tree hollow or a titmouse, and if the female likes it, the couple proceeds to build a nest from thin twigs lined with dry grass, moss, feathers and scraps of wool. In April, the female lays 6-12 white eggs with reddish specks and incubates the clutch for 10-14 days, feeding on the offerings of the male. Chicks hatch blind and naked. After 2-3 weeks, they fly out of the nest, but the parents feed them for about a week. As a rule, titmice breed one brood per year. Sometimes a couple manages to make another brood, and then one male feeds the older chicks. In winter, juveniles join the flocks of titmouse. Great tits reach sexual maturity at 10 months of age and hatch their offspring next spring.
Great tit - Parus major.
Length: 14 cm.
Wingspan: 22-25 cm.
Weight: 15-20 g.
Number of eggs in a clutch: 6-12.
Incubation period: 10-14 days.
Puberty: 10 months.
Food: insects, fruits, seeds.
Life expectancy: up to 15 years.
Structure.
Beak. The beak is short, conical.
Head. The top of the head is covered with a cap of black shiny feathers.
Body. The physique is quite solid.
Cheeks. The cheeks are white.
Mirror. There are white stripes on the wings, the so-called. mirrors.
Plumage. The dorsal side is yellowish-green, the abdomen is bright yellow. The wings, tail and coccyx are bluish-gray.
Tie. A wide, tie-like black stripe stretches along the chest and abdomen.
Fingers. Four short toes are equipped with sharp and tenacious claws.
Legs. Thin legs are devoid of plumage.
Related species.
The titmouse family unites about 65 bird species inhabiting Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. All of them are small birds leading a sedentary lifestyle, and only species nesting in the far north migrate to warmer regions for the winter. These birds live mainly in forests, although many species have successfully adapted to life in the city. The main food for tits is insects and seeds.
, reptiles (reptiles), birds, their nests, eggs and voices, and mammals (animals) and traces of their vital activity,
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pocket field determinant, including: inhabitants of reservoirs, birds of the middle lane and animals and their tracks, as well as
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methodical benefits and 40
educational methodological films on methodologies carrying out research work in nature (in the field).
In the non-commercial online store of the Ecological Center "Ecosystem" you can to acquire the following teaching materials on ornithology:
computer(electronic) guide to birds of central Russia, containing descriptions and images of 212 bird species (drawings of birds, silhouettes, nests, eggs and voices), as well as a computer program for identifying birds encountered in nature,
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