A passerine bird belonging to the Paridae family, the crested tιt (Lophophanes cristatus) was formerly known as Parus cristatus. This resident breeder is frequent in deciduous woodlands in France and the Iberian peninsula, as well as in central and northern Europe’s coniferous forests. When it comes to Great Britain, it mostly stays put in the old pinewoods of Strathspey and Inverness in Scotland. In England, a handful of stray crested tιts have been spotted. There are a lot of people who live there and don’t leave.

In addition to its characteristic gorget and collar, this tιt is easily recognisable by its erectile crest, the tip of which is frequently curved. Similar to the coal tιt, it is chatty and birdsong is maintained at a steady zee, zee, zee.

In decaying stumps, it builds a nest. Although it is not timid, this bird is not always easy to approach because it feeds low in the trees. As with other species, it will be a part of flocks of winter tιts.

This species of tιt lives in pairs and shares a diet of seeds and insects (including caterpillars).