Tits




Being a bird lover, I have read extensively on the feathered species. If I wasn’t a banker, I’d have been an ornithologist. I have more books on birds in my library than on any other creature. Birds are nature’s musicians and once you are hooked to them, you forget all other types of music.

After writing about the Cock, a reader wrote back saying that she was looking forward to something as exciting about another bird. So, I decided to fulfil her wish and write about the Tits.    

Tits are small birds; their length is between 3 to 8 inches.  They are also known as chickadees or titmice. They are social birds and love to make noise. Their plumage is a combination of various colours: grey, black, white, brown and yellow. Most of them have crests.

There are many types of tits: Blue tit, coal tit, marsh tit, willow tit, crested tit, elegant tit, red-throated tit, ashy tit, dusky tit, and the Great Tit. They are the most intelligent of all birds after the crow and the parrot. They are forever singing or calling; the only time they are quiet is when they are avoiding predators or when invading a rival’s terrain.

Mostly spread over the US, UK and Europe, their types are also found in India. Known as the Indian black-lored tit, they are found in plenty in the Indian sub-continent. I once spotted them during my holiday in Idukki, Kerala. Their song goes like si – si. In Finland, I saw many tits perched on trees and heard them singing, which I believe was chic a dee dee chic a dee dee.

In fact, the sight of a pair of Great Tits, is always a treat for bird watchers.  

-          NZ

2.8.2019






Comments

  1. Deepak Mehra2 August 2019 at 06:03

    These are birds worth watching!! Thanks for highlighting their beauty.

    ReplyDelete

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