Habitat

Mrs. Moreau's Warbler is almost exclusively associated with dense undergrowth in clearings in montane forest where it moves around among tall herbs, shrubs, tangles of vines (including Abutilon, Impatiens, Tecomaria, and Tinnea), and on vine-covered trees (3 Williams, J. G. (1951). Notes on Scepomycter winifredae and Cinnyris loveridgei. Ibis 93:469–470. Close , 23 Stuart, S. N., and F. P. Jensen (1985). The avifauna of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Gerfaut 75:155–197. Close , 31 Collar, N. J., and S. N. Stuart (1985). Threatened Birds of Africa and Related Islands: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. Part 1. Third edition. International Council for Bird Preservation and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close , 32 Fjeldså, J., K. Howell, and M. Andersen (1997). An ornithological visit to the Rubeho Mountains, Tanzania. Scopus 19:73–82. Close ). It has also been recorded from areas where trees have been cut out and dense secondary growth had developed (33 Turner, D. A. (1977). Status and distribution of the East African endemic species. Scopus 1(1):2–11. Close ).

In the Uluguru Mountains, 33 territories were mapped from 1,475‒2,450 m elevation, with the majority recorded from 1,700–2,200 m (24 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 ). Most of the territories were in large natural glades with dense herbaceous cover and vines tangles, and epiphytes hanging from tall trees at forest edges or from trees within the glade (24 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 ). In a few cases, territories were located in glades with the ground covered mainly by bracken fern, while a few territories were located in a mosaic of 25-meter-tall trees and small light gaps, with herbaceous vegetation up to 2 m in height (24 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 ). A few territories were in thick, herbaceous vegetation in heavily disturbed low forest (24 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 ).

In the Ukaguru and Rubeho Mountains, Mrs. Moreau's Warbler was reported to be mainly associated with secondary undergrowth that developed in clearings created by landslides and disturbance by large mammals, such as African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) (5 Bowie, R. C. K., J. Fjeldså, and J. Kiure (2009). Multilocus molecular DNA variation in Winifred’s Warbler Scepomycter winifredae suggests cryptic speciation and the existence of a threatened species in the Rubeho–Ukaguru Mountains of Tanzania. Ibis 151:709–719. Close ). In addition, logging of large trees and farm abandonment can create dense secondary undergrowth favored by this species (33 Turner, D. A. (1977). Status and distribution of the East African endemic species. Scopus 1(1):2–11. Close , 5 Bowie, R. C. K., J. Fjeldså, and J. Kiure (2009). Multilocus molecular DNA variation in Winifred’s Warbler Scepomycter winifredae suggests cryptic speciation and the existence of a threatened species in the Rubeho–Ukaguru Mountains of Tanzania. Ibis 151:709–719. Close ).