Tits | Paridae

Mezen | Páridos

Small, compact birds with a short strong bill and powerful legs; they forage acrobatically at the tips of twigs, hanging upside down, and wedge a seed under one foot to hammer it open. Almost all species nest in a cavity and lay large clutches there — eight to twelve eggs is normal, more than most songbirds manage. They store food in bark crevices and moss, and outside the breeding season travel in noisy mixed flocks through the wood. The head pattern is sharply drawn in every species and is the dependable field mark.