Breeding birds: 1,000 – 2,000 pairs
Wintering birds: 5,200 – 9,500
Family: Tits, Chickadees, And Titmice
The adult male crested tit has grey-brown upperparts with paler grey edges on the wings. The flight feathers are dark grey or black, finely edged in grey, and the tail is brownish-grey with subtle brown edging. Its underparts are creamy white, with pale buff-grey shading on the sides of the breast, flanks, and undertail coverts, while a black patch marks the centre of the upper breast.
On its head, the lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the neck are white or pale cream. A black stripe extends from the eye to the rear of the ear coverts. The chin and throat are black, and a narrow black line on the nape connects to a black collar on the upper back. The forehead, crown, and crest are black, with broad white feather edges that create a scaled appearance. The eyes range from pale brown to deep red, the bill is black, and the legs are blue-grey.
The female crested tit closely resembles the male but has a slightly shorter crest, narrower head stripes, and a buffier tinge to the crown and crest. Her flanks are also darker.
Juveniles are similar to adults but have shorter crests, browner crowns, and a less defined head pattern. Their bibs appear more brownish than black.
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Crested tits are monogamous, with pair bonds often lasting several seasons. They begin breeding in late April or early May and typically produce one brood per season, or occasionally two.
The nest is built in holes in decaying or dead tree trunks, branches, or stumps. They may also use cavities excavated by woodpeckers, usually around 3 metres above the ground. Both the male and female excavate the nesting site, with the female constructing the cup-shaped nest from moss, lichen, hair, wool, feathers, and spider webs.
Crested tits lay between 5 and 10 smooth, glossy white eggs speckled with reddish-brown spots. These are incubated solely by the female for 13 to 18 days. Once hatched, both parents share the responsibility of feeding the chicks, providing them with spiders and pine seeds. The chicks fledge 16 to 22 days after hatching but remain dependent on their parents for an additional 25 days. They reach sexual maturity at one year of age.
Crested tits feed mainly on small invertebrates and larvae as well as spiders, beetles, moths, worms and snails. Outside of breeding season they will also eat seeds, berries, birch sap and some fruit.
Crested tits can be seen all year round mainly in ancient Caledonian pine forests and Scots pine plantations of Scotland. They will also visit gardens to eat from bird tables and feeders. The occasional vagrant has been sighted in England.
The Scottish crested tits are considered to be a sub-species of those found on mainland Europe.
