Mouse-coloured penduline tit

Mouse-coloured penduline tit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Remizidae
Genus: Anthoscopus
Species:
A. musculus
Binomial name
Anthoscopus musculus
(Hartlaub, 1882)

The mouse-coloured penduline tit or mouse-colored penduline tit (Anthoscopus musculus) is a species of bird in the family Remizidae. At 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, it is one of the two shortest birds native to Africa, alongside the tit hylia.[2]

Taxonomy

The mouse-coloured penduline tit was formally described in 1882 by the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub under the binomial name Aegithalus musculus.[3] The species is now placed in the genus Anthoscopus that was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis.[4][5] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek anthos meaning "blossom" or "flower" with skopos meaning "searcher". The specific epithet musculus is Latin meaning "little mouse".[6] The species is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[5]

Distribution and habitat

This species has an extensive range in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 550,000 km2.[1] Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

References

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Anthoscopus musculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22711653A94305518. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711653A94305518.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Stevenson, Terry; Fanshawe, John (2002). Birds of East Africa. London: Christopher Helm. p. xx. ISBN 978-0-7136-7347-0.
  3. ^ Hartlaub, Gustav (1882). "Diagnosen Arten aus Centralafrika". Ornithologisches Centralblatt. 7 (11 & 12): 91–92.
  4. ^ Cabanis, Jean (1850–1851). Museum Heineanum : Verzeichniss der ornithologischen Sammlung des Oberamtmann Ferdinand Heine, auf Gut St. Burchard vor Halberstadt (in German and Latin). Vol. 1. Halberstadt: R. Frantz. p. 89.
  5. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Waxwings and allies, tits, penduline tits". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  6. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 49, 262. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.


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