Crested Tit

Brownish grey above and pale below, the Crested Tit has a warm buff wash along its sides. A pointed crest of dark feathers edged in white rises from its head, its tip often curling forward. Pale cheeks frame a dark throat patch that narrows into a collar.

It moves through trees in pairs, often feeding low down, and keeps up a steady "zee, zee, zee" call. It picks insects and seeds from twigs and bark, sometimes hanging upside down as it searches. From autumn onward, it tucks seeds, caterpillars, and spiders into bark cracks and among pine needles, building stores for later.

It lives mainly in mature pine and spruce woods across northern and central Europe, but in parts of western and southern Europe also uses deciduous woodland with dense undergrowth. In spring and summer it takes insects and larvae; in autumn and winter, seeds and berries become important. Most stay in the same area year-round, though some in the far north make short winter movements.