Family Tits and Chickadees (Paridae)
Least Concern
Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer)
Taxonomy
French: Mésange petit-deuil German: Kaprußmeise Spanish: Carbonero gris
Taxonomy:
Parus afer
J. F. Gmelin
, 1789,Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
.
Subspecies and Distribution
M. a. afer
(J. F. Gmelin, 1789) – W South Africa (Northern Cape, Western Cape) and SW Namibia.
M. a. arens
(Clancey, 1963) – Lesotho and S South Africa (S Free State, W Eastern Cape).
Descriptive notes
14–15 cm; 17·3–22·4 g. Medium-sized to large, dark grey tit with black head to breast and white lower face. Male nominate race has forehead to crown... read more
Voice
Calls include series of thin and fairly sibilant “tsi-cha-cha-cha” or “tsisisi-... read more
Habitat
Dry thorn-scrub, including arid Karoo areas of semi-desert, scrubby or bushy patches and fynbos, in... read more
Food and feeding
Diet includes small invertebrates, particularly wasps (Hymenoptera), ants (Formicidae), beetles (Coleoptera), spiders (Araneae) and larvae... read more
Breeding
Season Aug–Mar. Possibly a co-operative breeder. Nest built by both sexes, a thick pad or cup of grass, plant fibres, animal hair,... read more
Movements
Resident or locally nomadic.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Uncommon or scarce. Fairly common in South Africa around Cape Town. Apparently present in Kwazulu-Natal (E South Africa) prior to 1970, but no recent... read more
Has been considered conspecific with any or all of M. thruppi, M. griseiventris and M. cinerascens, but see M. leuconotus. Two subspecies recognized.