LC
Rufous-bellied Tit Melaniparus rufiventris



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Melaniparus rufiventris and M. pallidiventris (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as Parus rufiventris following Dowsett & Forbes-Watson (1993).

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 3,340,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 2.7 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified. This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 6% within its mapped range over the past 10 years (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a decline of between 1-19% in the species' population size over the same time frame.

Trend justification:   .


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native yes
Botswana extant native yes
Congo extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Malawi extant native yes
Namibia extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Angola Cameia National Park
Angola Cuango
Angola Luachimo River (Chitato)
Angola Luando Strict Nature Reserve
Angola Luia
Angola Mupa National Park
Congo Lake Télé Community Reserve
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Marungu highlands
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Upemba National Park
Malawi Dzalanyama Forest Reserve
Malawi Kasungu National Park
Malawi Liwonde Hills Forest Reserve
Malawi Mangochi Mountain Forest Reserve
Malawi Mtangatanga and Perekezi Forest Reserves
Malawi Namizimu Forest Reserve
Malawi Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve
Malawi Ntchisi Mountain Forest Reserve
Malawi Nyika National Park (Malawi)
Malawi South Viphya Forest Reserve
Malawi Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve
Namibia Mahango Game Reserve and Kavango river
Tanzania Loazi-Kalambo Forest Reserves and surrounding area
Zambia Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage
Zambia Chisamba
Zambia Chitunta Plain
Zambia Hillwood
Zambia Jimbe Drainage
Zambia Kafue National Park
Zambia Kalungwishi
Zambia Kasanka National Park
Zambia Lavushi Manda National Park
Zambia Liuwa Plain National Park
Zambia Lower Zambezi National Park
Zambia Lukususi National Park
Zambia Lusenga Plain National Park
Zambia Mafinga Mountains
Zambia Mbulo Forest
Zambia Minyanya Plain
Zambia Mutinondo Wilderness
Zambia North Swaka
Zambia Nyanje Hills
Zambia Shiwa Ng'andu
Zambia Sioma Ngwezi National Park
Zambia Source of the Zambezi
Zambia West Lunga National Park and Lukwakwa Game Management Area
Zambia Wonder Gorge

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry major resident
Savanna Dry major resident
Altitude 500 - 2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Rufous-bellied Tit Melaniparus rufiventris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/rufous-bellied-tit-melaniparus-rufiventris on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.