Crested Tits in Switzerland
When the Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) is present in Switzerland, when it nests, and which native Switzerland plants supply the food it depends on.
- Status in Switzerland
- Resident all year
- Nesting season
- April–June
- Size
- 11.5 cm, 11 g
- Nest box
- Does not use enclosed boxes
When to expect crested tits in Switzerland
The Crested Tit lives in Switzerland all year round. Snowy winters in the mountains; milder on the Swiss plateau and around the lakes.
Temperate-continental in the plateau, Alpine in the mountains.
Nesting in Switzerland
In Switzerland the Crested Tit usually nests April–June. Nest site: hole it excavates in rotten pine stumps. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 13–16 days; chicks fledge after 18–22 days, and pairs raise 1 per year.
- The Crested Tit does not use enclosed nest boxes — dense native shrubs and climbers give it nest sites.
- Avoid cutting hedges during the nesting season (roughly March to August) — in the UK, disturbing an active nest is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Native Switzerland plants for crested tits
Of the native plants we track for Switzerland, these 8 provide food the Crested Tit uses:
Haws feed thrushes all winter; spring blossom supports hundreds of insect species.
Late-winter berries when little else is left, plus dense nesting cover.
Late-summer berries taken by Blackcaps and thrushes.
Thorny cover that protects nests; early blossom for insects.
Blackberries and impenetrable nesting cover.
Early-summer cherries for Blackbirds and Jays.
Windfalls sustain thrushes and Fieldfares into winter.
Catkin seed for Siskins and Redpolls; many caterpillars for tit broods.
Feeding in the garden
Insects and conifer seed.
- Best foods: Sunflower hearts, Suet.
- Feeders: Tube feeder, Suet cage.
- In the UK found only in the Caledonian pinewoods of the Scottish Highlands.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked
Are crested tits in Switzerland all year?
Yes — the Crested Tit is resident in Switzerland all year.
When do crested tits nest in Switzerland?
Typically April–June. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 13–16 days, with 1 per year.
Which native plants help crested tits in Switzerland?
Hawthorn, Ivy, Elder, Blackthorn, Bramble, Wild cherry, Crab apple, Silver birch are native to Switzerland and provide food or cover the Crested Tit uses.
Crested Tits in other countries
Other garden birds in Switzerland
Sources
- Crested Tit — RSPB bird guide
- Crested Tit — BTO BirdFacts
- Swiss Breeding Bird Atlas — Swiss Ornithological Institute
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.