Photo: Manuel Schwarz / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-backed Black Tit
Melaniparus leuconotus
White-backed Black Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The White-backed Black Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus) is a member of the Paridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16.7 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 leuconotus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.7 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 White-backed Black Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-backed Black Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-backed Black Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus) is a species of bird in the Paridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF montane Eritrea and Ethiopia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.7 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 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 358,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-backed Black Tit?
The White-backed Black Tit is a small bird that weighs around 16.7 g.
Where does the White-backed Black Tit live?
The White-backed Black Tit is found across Africa with a range covering AF montane Eritrea and Ethiopia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-backed Black Tit belong to?
The White-backed Black Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-backed Black Tit eat?
The White-backed Black Tit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-backed Black Tit migrate?
The White-backed Black Tit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-backed 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 White-backed Black Tit make?
1 real field recording of the White-backed Black Tit — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-backed Black Tit's range?
The White-backed Black Tit has a mapped global range of about 358,000 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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