Family Tits and Chickadees (Paridae)
Least Concern
Miombo Tit (Melaniparus griseiventris)
Taxonomy
French: Mésange à ventre gris German: Miombomeise Spanish: Carbonero del miombo
Taxonomy:
Parus griseiventris
Reichenow
, 1882,Kakoma, Tabora District, Tanzania
.Distribution:
Angola, S & SE DRCongo, and W Tanzania S to Zambia, Zimbabwe and NW Mozambique.
Descriptive notes
14–15 cm. c. 20 g. Large black, white and grey tit. Male has forehead, crown and crown side (to below eye) and nape black, faintly glossed bluish in fresh plumage,... read more
Voice
Most frequent call “chitji”, sometimes accompanied by loud “chip”, also a... read more
Habitat
Almost entirely restricted to open and well-developed miombo (Brachystegia) woodland;... read more
Food and feeding
Diet rather poorly known; presumably includes small invertebrates and larvae. Usually forages in pairs or in small (possibly family) groups... read more
Breeding
Season Aug–Dec. Nest a large, soft pad or cup of plant fibres, animal hair and feathers, placed in hole in tree, including old hole... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common or locally common in much of range. In Tanzania local and sparsely distributed, and fairly common only around Mt Rungwe. Densities of 14... read more
Has been considered conspecific with M. cinerascens, but these two are not very closely related#R. Paler birds from Zambia described as race lundarum, and those from Mozambique and Zimbabwe with more prominent nuchal spot as parvirostris; definition and geographical delimitation of these, however, considered impracticable. Treated as monotypic.