Gray Tit Melaniparus afer

A large gray-brown tit with a black-and-white head pattern and a black bib. Pairs and small groups favor dry coastal scrub and Karoo, particularly near rocky outcrops where nest holes are available. It forages for insects in small groups or mixed-species flocks. The song is typically a whistled “piet-tjou-tjou, tudi-tudi-tudi,” with scolding, buzzing, and chattering interspersed. The Ashy Tit is similar to the Gray Tit, but it is colder gray rather than buffy, with whitish wing edgings and a longer tail, and prefers Acacia thornveld habitat.