Crested Tit

The Crested Tit is the only tit species in Britain with a distinctive spiky black and white crest, making it easy to recognise. Its feathers are otherwise plain, with warm brown on the upper parts, pale buff underneath, and a black curved line behind the eye that partly forms a collar. The face has white cheeks edged with black markings. In the UK, this bird is found only in the native Caledonian pine forests of the Scottish Highlands. However, it is more common across mainland Europe, living in both pine and mixed woodlands. It tends to stay in the same area and rarely moves far from its home territory. Crested Tits prefer older pine forests that have plenty of dead wood. They make their nests by digging holes in rotting tree stumps. You can often hear their soft, purring trill call before you see them high up in the trees.