Melaniparus


Melaniparus is a genus of birds in the tit family. The species were formerly placed in the speciose genus Parus but were moved to Melaniparus based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2013 that showed that the members formed a distinct clade. The genus Melaniparus had originally been introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1850. The type species was subsequently designated as the southern black tit. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek melas, melanos "black" and the genus Parus introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
The following species, all from Africa and mostly having dark plumage, have been placed in the genus:
ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Melaniparus guineensisWhite-shouldered black titAfrica from Senegal in the west to Kenya and Ethiopia in the east
Melaniparus leucomelasWhite-winged black titcentral Africa, from Angola in the west to Ethiopia in the east
Melaniparus nigerSouthern black titAngola to the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Melaniparus carpiCarp's titAngola and Namibia
Melaniparus albiventrisWhite-bellied titCameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
Melaniparus leuconotusWhite-backed black titEritrea and Ethiopia.
Melaniparus funereusDusky titAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda
Melaniparus rufiventrisRufous-bellied titRepublic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana
Melaniparus pallidiventrisCinnamon-breasted titTanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Melaniparus fringillinusRed-throated titKenya and Tanzania
Melaniparus fasciiventerStripe-breasted titBurundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Melaniparus thruppiAcacia tit or Somali TitEthiopia and Somalia south to north eastern Tanzania
Melaniparus griseiventrisMiombo titAngola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Melaniparus cinerascensAshy titAngola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Melaniparus aferGrey titLesotho and South Africa