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European Crested Tit (Lophophanes [Parus] cristatus) German name(s): "Haubenmeise" Size: 11-12 cm; wing span 17-20 cm Body mass: 10-16 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.15-0.18

Europe: Family Group 16 Family Group 16 Table Eurasian Blue Tit Great Tit Coal Tit Marsh Tit Willow Tit Sombre Tit European Crested Tit Eurasian Penduline Tit Long-tailed Tit Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description European Crested Tits are very small tits with a grey overall appearance. They have a black-and-grey scalloped crest, a black throat patch and otherwise light-grey scalloped plumage on the sides of the head. The front is fawn-coloured. The back (mantle, upperwings, tail) are a darker shade of grey than the head. The irises, bill, legs and feet are all grey.

Taxonomy, classification See European Crested Tit at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the European Crested Tit is available HERE . European Crested Tits are endemic to Europe. Altogether, they populate all of south-western, central and eastern Europe to the Ural Mountains, and northwards up to southern Scandinavia. They are also found in the Balkans, but but only rarely to the South of the Alps (in northern Italy). The range of nominate race "cristatus" extends eastward of a line connecting southern Sweden with Romania, up to the Ural mountain range, with a few sightings also from central Europe. In central Europe (from the Pyrenees to Poland and from the Alps to Denmark), predominantly race "mitratus" is found, with a separate race, "abediei", residing in the South-west of France. On the Iberian peninsula one finds race "weigoldi". There is a separate race, "scotius", in the Scottish highlands (for details see a field guide). European Crested Tits have a preference for coniferous forests, except for France and Spain, where they are found in decidious woodland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "mitratus" D. Wilczynska reports spotting European Crested Tits, race "mitratus", in Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, in January 2015. H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting a European Crested Tit, race "mitratus", near Frielendorf, Osthessen, Germany, in April 2017. G. Normand reports spotting European Crested Tits, race "mitratus", in Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, in December 2020. In the past we used to see European Crested Tits, race "mitratus", occasionally in various parts of Germany, including e.g. the Eifel low mountain range, Rheinland-Pfalz. Race "weigoldi" J. Pires reports finding European Crested Tits, race "weigoldi", occasionally in Portugal, e.g. in the area of Montargil to Mora, Evora, and in Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra. Another was found in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019.

Photos

Race "mitratus"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of European Crested Tits visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, November 2017]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Dorsal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Dorsal view of a European Crested Tit, different posture (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Dorsal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, December 2020]

Race "weigoldi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]

Near-frontal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]

Near-lateral view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]

Lateral view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Lateral view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Lateral view of an upside down European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Near-dorsal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

Dorsal view of a European Crested Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile European Crested Tit - note the pale gape (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile European Crested Tit looking upwards (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

crestit_dw_20171110_1.m4a	mitratus (Poland)	Various	© DW
crestit_dw_20171110_2.m4a	mitratus (Poland)	Various (+ Great Tit in bkgd)	© DW
crestit_jp_20250213_2.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Territorial calls(?)	© JP
crestit_jp_20221221.mp3	weigoldi (Portugal)	Warning calls(?)	© JP
crestit_jp_20240627.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various (family clan)	© JP
crestit_jp_20200318.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_20220226.mp3	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_20240713.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_20250213_3.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_2025xxxx.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_20250222.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various	© JP
crestit_jp_20220605.mp3	weigoldi (Portugal)	Various (+ House Sparrow)	© JP
crestit_jp_20250213.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	?	© JP
crestit_jp_20230225.m4a	weigoldi (Portugal)	?	© JP

More European Crested Tit sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.