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A crested tit perched on a pine twig, beside two pine cones. It's a small bird with a greyish-brown back, paler belly and prominent crest on its head

Crested tit © Margaret Holland

Crested tit

The crested tit is a small, energetic woodland bird from the Highlands of Scotland. It's easily recognised by its prominent black and white crest.

Scientific name

Lophophanes cristatus

When to see

All year

Species information

Category

Statistics

Length: 11-12 cm
Wingspan: 17-20 cm
Weight: 10-13 g

Conservation status

Classified in the UK as Green under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

About

The crested tit is a small woodland bird that has distinctive black and white features on its face and a striking crest. In the UK, sightings are mostly restricted to the conifer forests of the Scottish Highlands. Elsewhere in Europe, it is much more widespread and can be found in a wider variety of woodland habitats. The crested tits in Scotland are an endemic subspecies, Lophophanes cristatus scoticus.

Crested tits remain close to their breeding grounds all year, though in winter they may join mixed flocks of tits and roam more widely, sometimes visiting nearby gardens. They are agile birds, flitting between trees and hanging from branches as they search for pine seeds and invertebrates to eat. They will also cache food ahead of the winter, building up a supply to help them survive Scotland's harsh winters.

How to identify

The crested tit is a small woodland bird. It has a subdued, grey-brown back with pale buff underparts. Its most distinctive feature is a black and white crest on its head, which it can fan and raise upwards. It has a white face with a black bib and a black mark stretching back from each eye, which curves around the cheek. There is also a black stripe around the back of the neck, forming a half-collar.

Distribution

In the UK, the crested tit is restricted to northern Scotland, mainly in the pine forests of the central and eastern Scottish Highlands.

Did you know?

Female crested tits take up the unusual responsibility of excavating their own nesting holes, boring cavities into rotting wood.