- Serinus melanochrous
Identification
2007 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened.
Distribution
Serinus melanochrous is endemic to Tanzania where it is confined to the Njombe highlands and the Udzungwa Mountains.
Taxonomy
Habitat
It is a bird of high forest and bushland, occurring from 1,500 to 3,000 m2.
Behaviour
It feeds on fruit and hard seeds of trees and shrubs and also forages on the ground. Although some montane forest is protected in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and various Forest Reserves, other forest within its range is threatened as a result of clearance for agriculture, replacement with plantations, and selective cutting for timber and firewood1. Although the species's current status is unknown, these threats (combined with its very restricted range) put it at some risk. It may also occur in forests near the Zambian and Malawian borders. A survey of all parts of its projected range should be carried out, to assess its distribution, population size and trend, and the reasons for its restricted range.
