These small birds are predominantly gray-brown with raised crest.
Appearance
Thanks to its characteristic crest, it was awarded another name Grenadier. Most of the body is monotonously brown-gray color. However, there is a small dark strip that stretches from the front edge of the eye and, not reaching the base of the beak, continues behind the eye in the area of the ear feathers. Thus forms a contrasting black crescent against the background of white facial feathers. The back of the head of the crested tips is black, and a small dark spot flaunts on the throat. The area of abdomen and head has a dirty white tint. When the grenadier is aggressive, you can see how she pulls her neck forward and presses the crest to her head. In its size, the crested tint reaches no more than 14 centimeters of length, and the weight barely reaches 14 grams.
Sexual dimorphism lies in a shortlegged crest and narrow lateral drawings of the female.
Habitat
The largest population of the crested tits spread on the territory of the Southern TransUrals and the entire European region of Eurasia. Many types of grenadiers are in Ukrainian Carpathians. In Europe, a crested tit can be found in Central Europe and Scandinavia, in the south this bird lives extremely rarely.
As a habitat of the grenadier prefers coniferous forests, but can settle in mixed. Prefer to choose a terrain without deaf spaces.
Food
The basis of the diet of crested tits consists of various insects. In particular, their favorite foods are caterpillars who settled the trunks of coniferous trees. In addition to caterpillars, grenadies can eat invertebrates such as butterflies, spiders, leaflets, wasps, bees, weevils, mosquitoes and flies. In the period from autumn to winter, seeds and berries are eaten, for example, fir, mountain ash, spruce, juniper and kizil. In the spring season, do not mind enjoying birch or maple juice.
Reproduction
Grenadiers prefer to equip nests in the thick of the coniferous forest. As a place for arranging nests, hollows, stumps or small pits between the trees are chosen. If the bird does not find a suitable place, it can populate the abandoned nests of other animals. The bottom of the nest is covered with moss, it can use the rolling wool protein. The period of the ovaries for no more than 16 days lasts. As a rule, the female lays on average 6 eggs. The incubation period begins in May. Small-sized eggs of a single-white-white color without distinctive spots. The hatching chicks are in the nest for another three weeks. At this time, the female feeds them caterpillars. The male helps in finding food for offspring. Feeding can last up to 22 days.
After the young tits fly out of the nest, parents can periodically feed them for another month.
Lifestyle
Many crested tits move among coniferous trees, organizing small flocks. Also, these birds are extremely fast and active. Grenadies are rarely found that can sit in the same place for a long time. In order to survive the winter, the crested tits can fly closer to the gardens, where they feed on grain food. In the summer, couples are formed and fly to coniferous forests.
