Crested Tits prefer pine forest but not mature forest: insights from an early spring passive acoustic survey

The Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) is a relatively common species in Finland but is declining likely due to increasing anthropogenic pressures and habitat degradation. Here, we study habitat preferences of Crested Tits in Southwest Finland. We conducted a passive acoustic survey of the species’ presence and absence just prior to breeding in spring 2020 based on 1-week recordings made in 285 forested sites that were about 1 km from each other. We found that Crested Tits prefer a higher amount of pine foliage within a 100-meter radius but not at 400-meter radius. Contrary to our expectation, Crested Tit occurrences showed no preference for mature forests. Additionally, we found that Crested Tits avoid proximity to houses. No habitat preference was evident at the scale of 400-meter radius, probably because a significant proportion of habitat types are not used by the species at this scale. Lastly, despite the overall decline in the Crested Tit population in Finland, we found Crested Tits to be present in 68% of our sites, emphasizing the robustness of passive acoustic surveys as a valuable tool for studying avian habitat preferences and population monitoring. The findings contribute to our understanding of Crested Tit ecology in the face of habitat degradation and declining populations, offering insights for conservation measures in this region.