The montane tiny greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Usambara and Nguru Mountains in Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Region
Eastern Arc Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in moist montane forest and adjacent moist shrublands within the Usambara and Nguru ranges. It favors dense understorey, vine tangles, and forest edges where light gaps boost insect and berry availability. Birds typically stay low to mid-levels, moving quietly through thickets. It may use secondary growth if it is structurally dense and near intact forest.
Altitude Range
900–2000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small bulbul is confined to the Eastern Arc Mountains of northeastern Tanzania, where it keeps to dense montane undergrowth. It has often been treated as part of the tiny greenbul complex and is easily overlooked due to its quiet behavior. Its restricted range makes it sensitive to forest loss and fragmentation. Listening for its thin, high-pitched calls is often the best way to detect it.
Temperament
shy and retiring
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly, in pairs, or small family parties that skulk through dense cover. Often joins mixed-species foraging flocks in the understorey. Nest is presumed to be a small cup placed low in shrubs or saplings, with both parents likely participating in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and soft contact notes from within cover. Phrases are simple and repeated, carrying modestly in still forest conditions.
Plumage
Plain, soft-textured plumage with olive-green upperparts and paler yellow-olive underparts; generally unmarked and sleek, aiding camouflage in foliage.
Diet
Feeds on small insects, spiders, and other arthropods gleaned from leaves and twigs. Supplements diet with small fruits and berries, especially when insect prey is less abundant. Foraging is deliberate, with occasional short sallies to snatch prey.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understorey, forest edges, vine tangles, and regenerating thickets close to mature forest. Frequently uses low to mid-level strata where foliage density provides cover and food.
