The Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) is a passerine bird and is a member of the tit family Paridae.
It may not be a very colourful bird, but it can be easily recognised with its distinctive short, spiky crest, black and white head, and its black eye strip. Its bill is also black, the upperparts are grey-brown, and the underparts are whitish. It is somewhat a talkative bird, and it makes a constant sound “zee zee zee” which is a soft and bubbly trill and when repeated becomes the bird's song.
Crested Tits can be seen all year round and are mostly found in Scotland’s pine forests and plantations, but occasionally there have been sightings of them in England. They are often seen clinging to the sides of tree stumps in search of food and will feed mainly on invertebrates (including caterpillars) and pine seeds. They like to hoard some of the food during the autumn in preparation for the harsh winter periods when food supplies are scarce. In order, for them to store their food, a nest is built, for example, in a hole excavated in a rotten tree stump.
This lovely bird has been known to visit our gardens in search of food and will eat from bird tables and feeders. The best foods to offer them are suet-based that include insects or mealworms, as these will provide the protein and energy that is crucial for them to survive during the colder weather.
High Energy Suet Cakes with oil, seeds and mealworms are an important source of nutritious food that is bursting with goodness. They come in a variety of flavours and the birds will love them.
Fat balls remain a popular feeding format and they're an affordable favourite of birds and garden birders. They can be fed in a number of ways and our favourite is from a dedicated fat ball feeder, alternatively why not try mixing the suet pellets with your wild bird’s favourite seed mix to give them a real treat.
Written by Tina Jakes
