The tufted tit-tyrant is a generalist feeder that eats insects. It is also known to eat seeds in rare circumstances. It is an active forager that hunts in pairs or, after the breeding season, small family groups. It has also been known to feed with mixed-species foraging flocks, although this behavior is abnormal. When this does occur, it is most frequently seen foraging with the thorn-tailed rayadito; flocks of thirty tufted tit-tyrants in these mixed-species foraging groups have been reported. Birds in pairs tend to feed leapfrog style and maintain constant visual contact with each other. This species feeds at all strata of its habitat from the understory to the canopy.
