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Books about Tits

The books are listed in order of publication date with the most recent at the top.


Tits/Chickadees

True tits are members of the family Paridae. In the UK two other species are called tits, even though belonging to different families, and are therefore included here.

In the UK

Family: Paridae

Blue Tit
Parus caeruleus

Great Tit
Parus major

Coal Tit
Parus ater

Marsh Tit
Parus palustris

Willow Tit
Parus montanus

Crested Tit
Parus cristatus

Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus

Family: Panuridae

Bearded Tit
(Bearded Reedling)Panurus biarmicus

Rare UK visitor

Family: Remizidae

Penduline Tit
Remiz pendulinus

Other tits/chickadees

There are about 60 species of tits in the family Paridae worldwide. The Aegithalidae family includes 11 species. There are 12 species of penduline tits in the Remizidae family. The taxonomy of the Bearded Tit is uncertain.

 

Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus) survey at Stanny House Farm

D. Dadam, D.I. Leech, J.A. Clark, N.A. Clark

BTO Research Report 650

British Trust For Ornithology

2014

Aims: "The aims of the project were to: estimate the number of breeding pairs; help to target ringing effort by mapping the presence of breeding adults; investigate if it was feasible to carry out a Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS, www.bto.org/RAS) project by reading colour rings in the field; and explore habitat associations with distribution of birds at Stanny House Farm."

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Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice: An Integrated Approach

Ken A. Otter

Oxford University Press

2007

"Chickadees and titmice are among the most popular birds in North America, due in large part to their readiness to use bird feeders, to nest in urban gardens, and even to be trained to take food from people's hands. These attributes have also made them (and their Eurasian tit counterparts) perhaps the most intensively studied bird family in the world. Long-term research in Europe has yielded some of the most comprehensive data on the impact of global warming on the breeding ecology of birds. Chickadees have amongst the best-studied and most complex vocal behaviour of any bird species, displaying one of the closest analogies to human sentence structure in the animal kingdom in their familiar chick-a-dee call. The social dominance hierarchies commonly witnessed in the form of squabbling at winter feeders are some of most stable and closely studied, and have huge impacts on controlling the lives of these small birds. Their food-storing behavior, and the brain and physiological mechanisms controlling this, has contributed significantly to our wider understanding of spatial orientation. In recent years, these birds have also been used as model species for investigating topics as diverse as inter-species hybridization, the impacts of forest fragmentation and complex systems of communication. In short, chickadees and titmice have contributed enormously to our understanding of a myriad of topics in ecology, behavior and psychology. This book brings together a range of experts from across North America who utilise chickadees or titmice as study organisms. Each chapter reviews the latest advances in evolution and behavioral research that have been accomplished through the study of North American Parids, and compares and contrasts this literature with research on their Eurasian counterparts as well as other avian families. This research level text is aimed at professional avian biologists and ornithologists as well as graduate students of avian behavioral ecology and evolution. It will also appeal to a more general audience of behavioural ecologists, neuroethologists and experimental psychologists."

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Black-Capped Chickadee

Susan M.Smith

Wild Bird Guides

Stackpole Books

1997

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Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers

Simon Harrap

Illustrations: David Quinn

Christopher Helm

1996

"This guide covers all 110 of the world's species of tits, nuthatches and creepers. The Parulidae ("true" tits), Remizidae (penduline tits) and Aegithalidae (long-tailed tits) form the bulk of the book (78 species), with a further 24 species of nuthatch and eight creepers. The text covers each species under a number of headings: identification, sex and age, voice, distribution and movements, habitat, population, habits, breeding biology, description, movements, geographical variation, relationships, and references."

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Chickadees, Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers

Simon Harrap

Illustrations: David Quinn

Princeton University Press

1996

"The chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and treecreepers include some of the best-known birds in the world. They also number among them some species so rare that they have been seen by only a handful of birdwatchers. This is the first guide to cover all of these families across the globe. The comprehensive text provides extensive information about each species, including identification, description, vocalisations, geographical distribution and variation, habits, habitats, breeding biology, and relationships. Beautifully drawn full-colour plates detail all of the species, and the book includes over 100 colour maps and additional line drawings. This is the only guide of its kind. It covers the many members of these popular bird families, which count among them chickadees, titmice, penduline tits, Verdin, Bushtit, longtailed tits, nuthatches, treecreepers and Wallcreeper. With its world-wide coverage, the book reaches far beyond Europe and North America to encompass the many exciting species to be found in Africa and Asia."

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Titmice

Keith Graham

Colin Baxter Photography Ltd

199?

This book explores the lives of the seven British tits.

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The Great Tit

Andrew Gosler

Hamlyn Species Guides

Hamlyn

1993

Describes in detail, with accompanying colour photographs and artwork the lifestyle, feeding, population, song of the Great Tit.

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The Black-Capped Chickadee: Behavioral Ecology and Natural History

Susan M. Smith

Cornell University Press

1992

A 360 page monograph.

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The Blue Tit

Jim Flegg

Shire Natural History

1987

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British Tits

Christopher Perrins

Collins

New Naturalist 62

1979

"Curiously, little has been written about tits for the general naturalist. In this book, Christopher Perrins, who succeeded the late David Lack at the Edward Grey Institute of Ornithology in Oxford, sets out to remedy this omission. Dr Perrins has spent many years studying these small birds in great detail and has himself made many important discoveries about their lives and behaviour. The book deals with seven species of tit. These include the six members of the true tits - Coal, Great, Blue, Crested, Marsh and Willow Tits - as well as the more distantly related Long-tailed Tit. In addition to dealing with the general biology and behaviour of the birds, Dr Perrins gives full attention to such things as their social lives, their intelligence and adaptiveness, and their puzzling ability to adjust their population sizes to the future availability of food. Dr Perrin's study demonstrates that there is much unsuspected complexity - some of it still not clearly understood - in the lives of even the most popular of groups of birds; as such it will be of interest to every birdwatcher, amateur and professional alike."

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Titmice of the British Isles

John A.G. Barnes

David & Charles

1975

An account of the British tits based on contemporary research and the authors observations and records.

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The Coal Tit

A.J. Deadman

Forestry Commission Forest Record

HMSO

1973

16 page booklet with 6 black & white plates.

There were probably earlier editions of this booklet.

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Titmice In Woodlands

C.E. Palmar

Forestry Commission Forest Record

HMSO

1973

20 page booklet.

There were probably earlier editions of this booklet.

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Communication and other Social Behavior in Parus carolinensis

Susan T. Smith

Nuttall Ornithological Club publication 11

1972

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Crested Tit

Bruce Campbell

Forestry Commission Forest Record

HMSO

1971

14 page booklet.

There were probably earlier editions of this booklet.

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The Blue Tit

Humphrey M. Dobinson

Illustrations: Robert Gillmor

Longmans

1966

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The Behavior Of The Great Tit (Parus Major), And Some Other Related Species

R.A. Hinde

Behaviour, Supplement No. 2

E. J. Brill

1952

Abstract: "In this paper the annual cycle of behaviour of the Great Tit (Parus major) is described, and some aspects of its behaviour are analysed. Some observations on other related species are included. Methods. A natural population of tits was studied. Birds were trapped and colour ringed so that individuals could be recognised."

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Titmice

Sydney Buxton

Editor: H. E. Dresser

Educational Series No. 9

Society for the Protection of Birds

1890's

A 5 page guide that covers Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit and Crested Tit. Provides a brief description and information on distribution, numbers, food, characteristics, protection, plus two and a half pages of general remarks.

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Catalogue Of The Passeriformes or Perching Birds In The Collection Of The British Museum

Cichlomorphae: Part V, containing the families Paridae and Lanidae (Titmice and Shrikes) and Cerithiomorphae (Creepers and Nuthatches)

Catalogue Of The Birds In The British Museum, Volume VIII

Hans Gadow

9 colour plates: J. Smit

Printed By Order Of The Trustees

Printed by Taylor & Francis

1883

Preface:

"The Eighth Volume of the 'Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum' contains an account of all the species of Titmice, Shrikes, Creepers, and Nuthatches known at present. It was prepared by Dr. H. Gadow, who has also completed the manuscript of the succeeding volume, which will contain the Cinnyrimorphae and is already in the press. The total number of species described amounts to 402, of which no less than 337 are in the British Museum; they are represented by 2944 examples. Of the principal donors I have to mention H. I. and R. Highness the Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, B. H. Hodgson, Esq., F. D. Godman, Esq., 0. Salvin, Esq., Capt. Stackhouse Pinwill, W. E. and C. G. Gates, Esqrs., H. Seebohm, Esq., Lord Walsingham, Capt. Shelley, and Lieut.-Col. Irby. In consequence of the author's departure from London, it was found necessary to intrust the correction of the proof-sheets, and especially the revision of the lists of specimens, to the experience of Mr, Sharpe ; but all corrections were submitted to the author for his approval before the sheets were sent to press."
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Last updated September 2013