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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing tits. There are approximately 60 living tit species. These birds live in forests and aren't known to migrate. Some may move from high altitudes to lower altitudes in the winter, but none of them “fly south for the winter". They live throughout the northern hemisphere as well as Africa and parts of Asia. They’re also referred to as the titmouse and, in North America, some species are known as chickadees.

Tits do their foraging in social groups which can include other bird species. They have a range of calls and have the capacity to learn the calls of other species. Here are some tit sounds: (audio) They also have a fancy foraging strategy. Tits have special muscles for hanging completely upside down on a perch while they look for food! These birds eat insects, seeds, nuts, fruits, and more. During the winter their diet consists of approximately half animal material and half plant material. As the season shifts to spring they eat up to 90% animal material. This can contribute to them utilizing fewer feeders during warmer months. However, because they don't migrate, they visit feeders all year long!

Tits are arboreal birds. They rarely land on the ground as this position makes them more vulnerable to predators. Their predators include shrikes, minks, hawks, owls, and more. Fortunately for tits, they understand the warning calls not just of their own species but other species as well. Vocalizations are a huge part of the tit's lifestyle. They use calls to warn each other of danger, to establish dominance, and to find mates. Male tits are even able to learn the songs of other tit species to attract females of those species along with females of their own. This leads to hybridization.

Male and female tits are not typically sexually dimorphic, though the males in some species may grow a darker crest during breeding season. Though these birds forage in flocks, they are monogamous with a single partner. A female tit may breed with a more dominant male if the opportunity arises, and if that male's mate has died, the female will leave her mate for the more dominant one, but generally they remain with the same partner. Tits mate in the spring. They nest in cavities. These may be reused holes made by other animals, like woodpeckers, or the tits may dig out their own nest. This is only done in soft or rotten wood. The nest is lined with small twigs and fur and the female lays three to nine eggs. These are incubated for about two weeks and it takes another two to three weeks for the babies to leave the nest. After that, they'll remain under their parents' care for a month or two before becoming independent. Though they have been recorded to reach over ten years old, on average tits only live two years in the wild.

In size, tits range from three to eight inches (7.6 to 20cm) in length. Some have crests; these are most commonly referred to as a titmouse. They all have short, rounded wings. Most have neutral colors, though some species, especially the African species, have more colorful feathers. The great tit also has bright colors, and harbors a dark secret. During the winter, tits can enter a nocturnal hypothermia in which their metabolic rate drops to conserve energy, so they don't heat themselves as much. The great tit has another winter survival strategy. When food sources are scarce, they'll seek out hibernating bats and eat their brains!

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