Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey Tit
Melaniparus afer
Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer) — 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 Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer) is a member of the Paridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 20.2 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 afer
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Paridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer) is a member of the Paridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 5.6 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 428,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey Tit?
The Grey Tit is a small bird that weighs around 20.2 g.
Where does the Grey Tit live?
The Grey Tit is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey Tit belong to?
The Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey Tit eat?
The Grey Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey Tit migrate?
The Grey Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey 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 Grey Tit make?
1 real field recording of the Grey Tit — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey Tit's range?
The Grey Tit has a mapped global range of about 428,000 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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