Habitat
Canopy and mid-strata of more open parts of forest and in scattered trees within the grassland, avoiding denser, closed-canopy areas. At lower altitudinal limit it is found only in clearings. Common at the upper forest-grassland boundary, above this occurring in patches of bush and thicket. From 1,800 - 3,000 m.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 10,000 - 19,999 (2010).
Status VU
Habitat destruction through regular burning of grassland by hunters, which extend to destroy large areas of forest, is the main threat.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Voice
A sharp, strong, flutey whistled song. Various churring contact calls.
Mount Cameroon Speirops (Zosterops melanocephalus) [XC392809]
by id from Mount Cameroon, Cameroon (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Black-capped Speirops (Zosterops lugubris) and Mount Cameroon Speirops (Zosterops melanocephalus) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) are retained as species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include melanocephalus as a subpecies of Black-capped Speirops (Zosterops lugubris).
Forms a superspecies with Black-capped Speirops (Zosterops lugubris), and formerly considered conspecific, but differs morphologically and ecologically. Principe Speirops (Zosterops leucophaeus) possibly belongs to same superspecies.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet