Rufous-bellied Tit Melaniparus rufiventris Scientific name definitions

Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

14–15 cm; c. 20 g. Large tit with pale eye, black head to breast and rufous underparts. Male nominate race has entire head to nape and neck side, throat and breast black, in fresh plumage glossed bluish; mantle, back and scapulars dark grey, rump and uppertail-coverts darker (blackish-grey); tail black, outer two feathers narrowly tipped white; upperwing-coverts black, broadly fringed and tipped white (narrowly edged on greaters), alula black, primary coverts dark grey, finely fringed pale greyish and tipped white; flight-feathers black, all tertials broadly fringed and tipped whitish, secondaries and primaries finely fringed whitish; side of breast to centre of lower breast dark grey, rest of underparts dull rufous-orange; axillaries pale grey, underwing-coverts white; in worn plumage, pale fringes on wing become abraded and duller; iris sulphur-yellow or creamy; bill black; legs bluish-grey. Female is very like male, but has slightly paler rufous underparts. Juvenile is as adult but duller, with head to upper breast dark sooty grey, crown greyish, upperparts tinged brown, wings dark sooty brown, median and greater upperwing-coverts with buffish tips, edges of greater coverts narrower than on adult, flight-feathers fringed yellowish-buff, lower breast, belly and flanks pale chestnut, iris darker or greyer. Racial variation slight: diligens is as nominate, but head duller and grades into more blue-grey mantle, chin to throat less black and grading into grey on breast, female has duller hood merging with same colour on mantle and back, and has chin to upper throat grey; masukuensis is also as nominate, but has upperparts paler grey, throat blackish, breast paler grey, underparts paler or pinkish-cinnamon.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

15 cm. Large tit with dark eye, black head to breast and pale pinkish underparts. Male nominate race has entire head to nape and neck side, throat and centre of breast black, in fresh plumage slightly glossed bluish; mantle, back and scapulars dark grey, rump slightly paler grey, blackish shaft streaks on uppertail-coverts; tail black, all feathers narrowly fringed and tipped white; upperwing-coverts black, fringed and more broadly tipped white, alula black, primary coverts blackish, finely fringed and tipped pale greyish; flight-feathers black or blackish-grey, tertials broadly fringed and tipped whitish, secondaries and primaries finely fringed whitish, bases of outer primaries more broadly edged whitish (forming small patch); breast side to centre of lower breast dark grey, rest of underparts pale pinkish-buff, washed greyish; axillaries pale grey, tipped whitish, underwing-coverts white; in worn plumage, fringes of wing-coverts and flight-feathers abraded; iris brown to deep brown; bill black; legs light blue to bluish-grey. Female differs from male only in having slightly browner chin to breast. Juvenile has head to breast more sooty brown, or slightly paler brown on throat to upper breast, upperparts tinged brown, tail dark brown, wings dark sooty brown, median and greater coverts with broad off-white tips, edges of greater coverts narrower than on adult, secondaries and primaries fringed dingy yellowish-white, underparts paler and duller than adult, iris darker. Racial variation slight: stenotopicus has head duller or browner than nominate, mantle greyer, wing-coverts more broadly fringed and tipped white, white at base of outer primaries more extensive, black on throat more sharply demarcated from grey of breast, lower breast paler grey, rest of underparts variably reddish to pinkish-buff.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Diet principally small invertebrates and larvae. Usually in pairs, small groups or mixed-species flocks; occasionally in foraging flocks with P. griseiventris. Forages in middle and upper levels of trees, favouring large trees and those with heavy growth of lichens, especially Usnea; forages mostly among outer foliage and branches, where it gleans insect prey from outer leaves while clinging to slender twigs.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Calls include thin “sit, sit” and “szit”, becoming part of longer series of “si-ch” or “tsitsi-chaa-chaa-chaa-chaa” or a more rolling “whit-cherr, whit-cherr, whit-cherr”; occasionally a sweeter or higher-pitched and frequently repeated “pet-tipio, pet-tipio, pet-tipio”; alarm a harsh , grating “churrr-churrr-churrr”. Song  very like a longer version of call notes, as well as rapid and ringing deliveries of typical tit-like notes, including “weetlu-chu, weetlu-chu”, “chick-wee, chick-wee, chick-wee”, “peetada, peetada, peetada…” or “pet-tida, pet-tida, pet-tida”.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

No information; calls  and song apparently indistinguishable from those of M. rufiventris.

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Rufous-bellied)

Rufous-bellied Tit (Cinnamon-breasted)