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Crested tit facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the European species. For the crested tit species from southeast Asia, Lophophanes dichrous, see Grey-crested tit.
Quick facts for kids
Crested tit
Lophophanes cristatus - 01.jpg
A crested tit in Spain
Conservation status
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Lophophanes
Species:
L. cristatus
Binomial name
Lophophanes cristatus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
LophophanesCristatusIUCN.svg
Range of L. cristatus      Resident
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Synonyms

Parus cristatus Linnaeus, 1758

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The crested tit is a small, cute bird with a cool spiky crest on its head! It's also called the European crested tit. This little bird belongs to the tit family, Paridae. You can find it living all year round in many parts of Europe.

Crested tits love to live in conifer forests, which are full of trees like pines and firs. They also live in deciduous woodlands, especially in France and Spain. In Great Britain, they mostly stick to old pine forests in Scotland. These birds usually stay in one place and don't migrate to warmer areas for winter.

Meet the Crested Tit: What Makes It Special?

The crested tit is super easy to spot because of its unique look. It has a cool, spiky crest on its head that often curves backward. It also has a special black "gorget" (like a bib) and a black "collar" around its neck.

Like other tits, these birds love to "talk" to each other. They make a constant zee, zee, zee sound. This sound is a bit like the noise made by another bird called the coal tit.

Where Crested Tits Live and What They Eat

Crested tits build their nests inside holes in rotting tree stumps. They often look for food low down in trees. Even though they aren't shy, it can sometimes be tricky to get close to them.

In winter, crested tits often join up with other types of tits. They form big groups to search for food together. These birds usually live in pairs. They mostly eat insects, including yummy caterpillars, and also enjoy eating seeds.

Images for kids

  • Lophophanes cristatus -Aviemore, Scotland-8

    Crested tit, Aviemore, Scotland

  • Lophophanes cristatus -Aviemore, Scotland-8 (1)

    Crested tit, Aviemore, Scotland

  • Lophophanes cristatus Luc Viatour 5
  • Lophophanes cristatus - 02

    Crested tit, Cantalejo, Spain

  • Parus cristatus MWNH 2285

    Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

  • Lophophanes cristatus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.181.1

    Lophophanes cristatus - MHNT

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Crested tit Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.