Rufous-bellied Tit (Melaniparus rufiventris) [XC58693]
by Leo Borch from Antenna Road, 20km before Rundu on B8, Namibia (song)
Rufous-bellied Tit (Melaniparus rufiventris) [XC757382]
by Dries Van de Loock from Kangongo, Kavango East Region, Namibia (song)
Subspecies
Rufous-bellied Tit (Melaniparus rufiventris) and Cinnamon-breasted Tit (Melaniparus pallidiventris) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Parus rufiventris following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993). The BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group is aware that phylogenetic analyses have been published which have proposed generic rearrangements which may affect this species, but prefers to wait until work by other taxonomists reveals how these changes affect the entire groups involved.
Forms a superspecies with Cinnamon-breasted Tit (Melaniparus pallidiventris) and Red-throated Tit (Melaniparus fringillinus). Has been considered conspecific with Cinnamon-breasted Tit (Melaniparus pallidiventris), but differs in eye colour (possibly age-related) and belly colour (varies clinally).
Hybridization not proven, and identity of supposed intermediates (based chiefly on eye coloration) uncertain. Further research required. Subspecies intergrade widely.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
rufiventris (Barboza du Bocage, 1877) - Southern PRCongo and south-western and southern DRCongo south to central Angola and central Zambia.
masukuensis (Shelley, 1900) - South-eastern DRCongo, eastern Zambia and Malawi.
pallidiventris Reichenow, 1885 - Tanzania, southern Malawi and northern Mozambique. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Cinnamon-breasted Tit (Melaniparus pallidiventris).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet