Paridae

Tit
European crested tit in Scotland
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Infraorder:	Passerida
Family:	Paridae Vigors, 1825
Genera
5–10, see text.
Global range (In green)

The Paridae is a family of tiny birds, the tits (called 'chickadees' or 'titmice' in North America). They are passerine songbirds which are native to the northern hemisphere and Africa. Most of them used to be classified in the genus Parus, which has now been split up.

These birds are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They range in length from 10 to 22 centimetres. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.^[1]

Many species will live around human habitation and come readily to bird feeders for nuts or seed, and learn to take other foods. In Britain, great tits and blue tits learned to break through the foil caps sealing bottles of milk on doorsteps, to get at the cream on top. Of course, the change in milk packaging has robbed them of this delicacy.

These are hole-nesting birds, typically using trees, although some species build nests on the ground. They lay anything from three to nineteen speckled white eggs, depending on species.^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Perrins, C. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 202–203. ISBN 1-85391-186-0.