Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Southern Black Tit
Melaniparus niger
Southern Black Tit (Melaniparus niger) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Southern Black Tit (Melaniparus niger) is a member of the Paridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 21.5 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 niger
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Paridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Southern Black Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Southern Black Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Southern Black Tit (Melaniparus niger) belongs to the Paridae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF se.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 7 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 2.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Southern Black Tit?
The Southern Black Tit is a small bird that weighs around 21.5 g.
Where does the Southern Black Tit live?
The Southern Black Tit is found across Africa with a range covering AF se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Southern Black Tit belong to?
The Southern Black Tit (Melaniparus niger) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Southern Black Tit eat?
The Southern Black Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Southern Black Tit migrate?
The Southern Black Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Southern Black 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 Southern Black Tit make?
1 real field recording of the Southern Black Tit — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Southern Black Tit's range?
The Southern Black Tit has a mapped global range of about 2.2 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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