Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatus
11.5cm
Appearance of the Crested Tit
The Crested Tit is brownish above and whitish-buff underneath. It has a distinct crest with black-and-white barring, a whitish-grey face with a black line through the eye, a black throat and collar, and a thin, short bill. Juveniles appear similar to adults, but the markings are not yet as obvious.
Crested Tit Habitat
The Crested Tit lives in Scots pine or in very old Caledonian pine forests; may occasionally be found in different conifers and perhaps in rowan, alder and birch during colder months. It uses older trees, and often the upright stumps of dead trees, to breed.
Character
This is an agile bird that is never still for long; it may dangle from branches as it searches for food. Travels with other tits and some other species, but rarely goes beyond feeding areas.
What does the Crested Tit eat?
Usually feeds in taller trees during the summer, particularly pines. Diet includes moths, caterpillars, aphids, beetles and spiders. Eats more seeds during winter.
Crested Tit Breeding
Female lays between 4 and 6 eggs which she incubates for 13-16 days. Both adults feed the young, which depart the next at about 18-22 days old; they remain reliant on their parents for a further 23 days, then gain independence and begin the search for a winter partner.
Population
The Crested Tit won’t often stray far from breeding areas; there are approximately 1000 - 2000 pairs in the region, all of which are found in Scotland.
Observation Tips for the Crested Tit
An observer must go to specifically the right area to see this bird, that is in old Caledonian pine forests and mature and open Scots Pine plantations in the Scottish highlands. The birds prefer to feed near the canopy, but if patient, an observer might spy them as they feed on lower branches and sometimes even the ground. The Crested Tit requires upright, decaying tree trunks in which to breed, so sightings of such things may give a clue to the bird’s presence. Location is best done through listening for its call.
Voice
Has a sharp, trilling call that is regularly heard in a pattern, and the fast-paced song is a conglomeration of different calls.
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