Photo: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ashy Tit
Melaniparus cinerascens
Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens) is a member of the Paridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 20 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Paridae Tits, Chickadees
- Genus Melaniparus
- Species cinerascens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Paridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ashy Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Ashy Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens) belongs to the Paridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ashy Tit?
The Ashy Tit is a small bird that weighs around 20 g.
Where does the Ashy Tit live?
The Ashy Tit is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Ashy Tit belong to?
The Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Ashy Tit eat?
The Ashy Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ashy Tit migrate?
The Ashy Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ashy Tit endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Ashy Tit make?
1 real field recording of the Ashy Tit can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ashy Tit's range?
The Ashy Tit has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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