Distribution

Occurs in montane forest (1,000–2,570 m elevation) in eastern Tanzania and northwestern Mozambique from Tanzania’s Usambara Mountains southwards to the head of Lake Malawi and in the highlands east of Lake Malawi south to Serra Jeci in Mozambique. It is known from the following mountain areas:

• East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Collected at Amani at 900 m in the early 1930s when it was uncommon (1 Sclater, W. L., and R. E. Moreau (1933). Taxonomic and field notes on some birds of North-Eastern Tanganyika Territory. Parts 3–5. Ibis 75(1):1–33, 75(2):187–219, 75(3):399–440. Close ); reported there in tiny numbers in the 1980–1990s (24 Cordeiro, N. J., V. M. Pohjonen, and E. Mulungu (2001). Is the endangered Long-billed (Moreau’s) Tailorbird Orthotomus [Artisornis] moreaui safe in the East Usambaras? Bulletin of the African Bird Club 8(2):91–94. Close ). Occurs in the Mount Nilo area (Lutindi and Kilanga) from 1,000–1,500 m (25 Seddon, N., J. M. M. Ekstrom, D. R. Capper, I. S. Isherwood, R. Muna, R. G. Pople, E. Tarimo, and J. Timothy (1999). The importance of the Nilo and Nguu North Forest Reserves for the conservation of montane forest birds in Tanzania. Biological Conservation 87(1):59–72. Close , 26 Cordeiro, N. J. (1998). A preliminary survey of the montane avifauna of Mt Nilo, East Usambaras, Tanzania. Scopus 20:1–18. Close , 24 Cordeiro, N. J., V. M. Pohjonen, and E. Mulungu (2001). Is the endangered Long-billed (Moreau’s) Tailorbird Orthotomus [Artisornis] moreaui safe in the East Usambaras? Bulletin of the African Bird Club 8(2):91–94. Close ).
• West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Recorded from Lushoto and Shume (Magamba) at 1,220–2,135 m (13 Ripley, S. D., and G. Heinrich (1966). Comments on the avifauna of Tanzania I. Postilla 96:1–45. Close , 12 van der Willigen, T. A., and J. C. Lovett (Editors) (1981). Report of the Oxford Expedition to Tanzania 1979. Unpublished report. Close ).
• Nguru Mountains. Tanzania. Recorded from 1,550–1,750 m (27 Romdal, T. S. (2001). An ornithological survey of the Nguru Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 22:49–62. Close ).
• Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania. Occurs at 1,500–1,850 m (28 Evans, T. D., and G. Q. A. Anderson (1993). Results of an ornithological survey in the Ukaguru and East Usambara mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 17:40–47. Close ).
• Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Recorded from 1,200–2,570 m (13 Ripley, S. D., and G. Heinrich (1966). Comments on the avifauna of Tanzania I. Postilla 96:1–45. Close , 29 Stuart, S. N., and F. P. Jensen (1985). The avifauna of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Gerfaut 75:155–197. Close , 30 Svendsen, J. O., and L. A. Hansen (Editors) (1995). Report on the Uluguru Biodiversity Survey 1993. Part A. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds & Tanzania Forestry Research Institute & Centre for Tropical Biodiversity, Sandy, United Kingdom. Close ).
• Rubeho Mountains, Tanzania. Recorded at Image, Mangalisa, Uvidunda, Msanga, Ukwiva, Mafwemiro, Wota and Kiboriani (31 Fjeldså, J., J. Kiure, N. Doggart, L. A. Hansen, and A. Perkin (2010). Distribution of highland forest birds across a potential dispersal barrier in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Steenstrupia 32:1–43. Close ).
• Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Widespread, recorded from Ndundulu-Luhombero, Uzungwa Scarp, Mwanihana, Nyumbanitu, Ukami, Iyondo, Kisinga-Rugaro, Ikokoto and Ulongambi (= Dabaga) forests at 1,340–2,030 m ( 13 Ripley, S. D., and G. Heinrich (1966). Comments on the avifauna of Tanzania I. Postilla 96:1–45. Close , 32 Jensen, F. P., and S. Brøgger-Jensen (1992). The forest avifauna of the Uzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 15(2):65–83. Close , 33 Romdal, T. S. (2001). Altitudinal distribution and abundance patterns of bird species in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 21:35–54. Close , 34 Jensen, F. P., L. Dinesen, L. A. Hansen, D. C. Moyer, and E. A. Mulungu (2020). Bird species richness in the montane evergreen forests of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 40:39–49. Close ) and further to the southwest on the Udzungwa Plateau in the Kigogo Forest at 1,700–1,830 m (32 Jensen, F. P., and S. Brøgger-Jensen (1992). The forest avifauna of the Uzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 15(2):65–83. Close ) and forest patches around Mufindi (Ifupira, Ipafu, and Lulanda forests) at 1,630–1,970 m (35 Doggart, N., C. Leonard, A. Perkin, M. Menegon, and F. Rovero (2008). The biodiversity and forest condition of Udzungwa Mountain forests in Mufindi District. Tanzania Forest Conservation Group Technical Paper No. 18. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Close ).
• Southern Highland, Tanzania. Recorded from Mdando Forests in 1962 (no altitude given) (13 Ripley, S. D., and G. Heinrich (1966). Comments on the avifauna of Tanzania I. Postilla 96:1–45. Close ) and in 2022 at 1,950 m (FPJ, unpublished data).
• Matengo Highland, Tanzania. Recorded from Kitesa Forest (= Luwiri-Kitessi Forest) at 1,560–2,000 m in the 1930s (36 Sassi, M., and F. Zimmer (1940). Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Vogelwelt des Songea-Distriktes mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Matengo-Hochlandes (D.O.A.). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 51:236–346. Close , 37 Moreau, R. E. (1947). A contribution to the faunistics of Tanganyika Territory. Ibis 89:216–231. Close ) and in 2022 by E. Mulungu and M. Mbilinyi (unpublished data).
• Mount Chitagal, Mozambique. Recorded in small forest patch at ca. 1,700 m at the top of the mountain (38 Jones, S. E., G. A. Jamie, E. Sumbane, and M. Jocque (2020). The avifauna, conservation and biogeography of the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique, with a review of the country’s Afromontane birdlife. Ostrich 91:45–56. Close )
• Serra Jeci (Njesi Plateau), Mozambique. In forest patches at ca. 1,500–1,850 m (39 Ryan, P. G., and C. N. Spottiswoode (2003). Long-billed Tailorbirds (Orthotomus moreaui) rediscovered at Serra Jeci, northern Mozambique. Ostrich 74(2):141–145. Close , 38 Jones, S. E., G. A. Jamie, E. Sumbane, and M. Jocque (2020). The avifauna, conservation and biogeography of the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique, with a review of the country’s Afromontane birdlife. Ostrich 91:45–56. Close ).

A single record at Shengena in the South Pare Mountains of northeastern Tanzania in 1992 (40 Fjeldså, J., and J. Rabøl (1995). Variation in the avian communities between isolated units of the Eastern Arc montane forests, Tanzania. Gerfaut 85:3–18. Close ) requires corroboration given that a subsequent, comprehensive study of the avifauna in the same area in 1996–1997 did not report African Tailorbird (33 Romdal, T. S. (2001). Altitudinal distribution and abundance patterns of bird species in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 21:35–54. Close ).

The mean upper elevational limit shifted 460 m upslope over a 39-year period (1980–2019) in the West Usambara Mountains, while the lower and upper elevational limits shifted 161 and 307 m upslope, respectively, during the same period (41 Neate-Clegg, M. H. C., S. N. Stuart, D. Mtui, C. H. Şekercioğlu, and W. D. Newmark (2021). Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming. PLoS ONE 16(3):e0248712. Close ). This upslope shift is believed to be a response to climate warming (41 Neate-Clegg, M. H. C., S. N. Stuart, D. Mtui, C. H. Şekercioğlu, and W. D. Newmark (2021). Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming. PLoS ONE 16(3):e0248712. Close ); climate change may be affecting the elevational limit of the African Tailorbird in other montane forest areas.