As described by Pierre de Beauvais in his Bestiaire, the titmouse has beautiful feathers. It is curious about other birds and wants to see them, whether dead or alive. To catch this bird, a hunter sets a trap, then whistles and shows a dead bird. The titmouse flies to see what the hunter has, but is caught by its feet in the trap. Other birds are also caught when they respond to the titmouse's cries.

In other works, the titmouse is said to be the enemy of the ass, which rubs itself against thorns for the relief of itching and so doing knocks down the nests of the titmouse. The bird is so frightened by this that when it hears the sound of an ass braying it throws its eggs out of the nest, and the chicks themselves fall out. The titmouse gets its revenge by flying at the ass and pecking at its sores with its beak.