ETYM Old Eng. titemose, titmase.
(Irregular plural: titmice).
Small insectivorous birds; SYN. tit.
Any of a family (Paridae) of small birds of the order Passeriformes, found worldwide except in South America and Australia. There are 65 species, all agile and hardy, and often seen hanging upside down from twigs to feed. In North America many of the species are called chickadees.
North American species include the tufted titmouse Parus bicolor, with a gray crest, and the black-capped chickadee P. atricapillus.