THE EUROPEAN CRESTED TITMOUSE. 



( Parus cristatus.) 



Wise the nuthatch and the titmouse, 

 Wise the bluebird and the downy, 

 To conceal their nests in tree-trunks 

 Where this monster cannot find them. 



— Frank Bolles, "The Blue Jay." 



Sprightly and restless, the Crested Tit- 

 mouse of Europe frequents the topmost 

 branches of secluded forests in northern 

 Europe. Hopping from twig to twig, 

 flying from branch to branch, and seem- 

 ing always in motion, the little bird peers 

 under leaves and into the crevices of the 

 bark, diligently searching for its food of 

 insects, of which it consumes a large 

 number. Of a shy and retiring disposi- 

 tion, it has a decided liking for forests of 

 coniferous trees, where its diminutive 

 form and the compact foliage protect it 

 from intruders of all kinds, while it read- 

 ily finds an abundant supply of food. It 

 is a rare bird in the central and southern 

 parts of the European continent and in 

 Great Britain. 



Regarding the habits of the Crested 

 Titmouse in Germany, an observer has 

 written : "It does not leave us, and is 

 partly a resident and to some extent a 

 wanderer, but not so much of a wanderer 

 as many other birds, for it seldom leaves 

 the pine woods, and when it does it is 

 only to visit another pine growth situated 

 in non-evergreen woods. Its wanderings 

 are most extended in the late autumn and 

 in the spring. It is then to be found in 

 small groves of pine or fir trees standing 

 in the open country and miles away from 

 the large forests. It may also be seen 

 in large gardens. They hurry uneasilv 

 through the non-evergreen woods and 

 fruit gardens which lie between the pine 

 woods they visit on their wanderings, and 

 are only at ease when in these latter. 

 They also hurry with greater speed over 

 fields or any treeless tract they mav 

 pass." 



Wherever it is found it is usually a 

 constant resident unless the severitv of 



the weather or the lack of food necessi- 

 tates a change of locality. At such times 

 it is often seen migrating in company 

 with other species of the smaller birds, 

 and it generally seems to be the leader of 

 these small flocks. It is said that the 

 other species will obey the call notes of 

 the Titmouse and when danger is ap- 

 parent it seems to be the first of the 

 birds to give an alarm. Its shy nature, 

 as well as its method of catching its food, 

 would naturally make it alert at all times. 



In an economic sense it is a most use- 

 ful bird, as it feeds upon insects in all 

 the stages of their development. It also 

 feeds upon the seeds of various cone- 

 bearing trees. Constantly active the 

 crest of this beautiful bird gives it an 

 added dignity as it seeks its food, leads 

 a flock or quarrels with one of its kind, 

 as it often does during the nesting sea- 

 son. 



Probably because of its nesting habits, 

 the Crested Titmouse seems to like those 

 cone-bearing forests in which there are 

 also deciduous trees. Its nest of grasses, 

 moss, lichens, feathers, hair and other 

 soft materials is usually placed in a hole 

 of some tree or stump. Not infrequent- 

 ly, however, the deserted holes of squir- 

 rels or the old nests of crows and mag- 

 pies are selected. 



The European Crested Titmouse would 

 be a popular bird and much better 

 known were it not for the difficulty of 

 studying the habits of so small an object 

 in the dense and extensive forests which 

 it frequents. Its characteristics can only 

 be satisfactorily observed when it is com- 

 pelled to seek its food in more open 

 places. 



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