Cape penduline tit

Cape penduline tit

Southern penduline tit

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Anthoscopus minutus

The Cape penduline tit or southern penduline tit (Anthoscopus minutus ) is a species of bird in the family Remizidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are dry savannah, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation. At eight centimetres (3 in) in length, it is one of the smallest species of bird found in Africa, along with its cousins the grey penduline tit and the mouse-coloured penduline tit.

Distribution

Geography

Cape penduline tit habitat map
Cape penduline tit habitat map
Cape penduline tit
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Mating Habits

They build a globular nest made of the webs of Stegodyphus spiders as well as silken fibre from various plants. An entrance hole is made on the side and towards the end, a false entry and chamber are constructed below the actual entrance to the nest chamber. The spout at the entrance has a separating septum with the entrance to the actual nest chamber at the upper portion, the septum pushed up with its forehead to close the upper entrance by the bird just before leaving the nest so as to show only the main entrance leading into a blind chamber. This is a defence against snakes and other nest predators.

References

1. Cape penduline tit Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_penduline_tit
2. Cape penduline tit on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22711679/94306171
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/673754

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