European Crested Tit

A charismatic tit with a prominent, speckled black-and-white crest. It is a specialist of mature coniferous forests, particularly pine and spruce. It is a resident in the north and in mountain ranges like the Alps. It is a sedentary bird that rarely moves far from the forest it was born in.

Crested Tits are active foragers. They often hang upside down on pine needles to find insects and spiders. In winter, they hoard seeds behind bark to survive the cold. They rarely visit garden feeders unless they are right next to a pine wood. Their call is a distinctive, low-pitched trill.