Forest Canary Crithagra scotops Scientific name definitions

12·5–13 cm; 13–18 g. Small finch with stout, robust-looking bill , heavily streaked upperparts and slightly notched tail. Male nominate race has lower forehead to lores, area around eye, cheek and ear-coverts to chin variably black or blackish-olive (lores and chin always black), narrow bright yellow supercilium from upper lores to over ear-coverts; upper forehead, crown and upperparts, including upper rump, deep or dark olive-green, streaked blackish, lower rump and uppertail-coverts unstreaked bright yellowish-green; tail blackish or blackish-brown, edged pale green; upperwing-coverts black, medians and greaters edged and broadly tipped yellow (forming double wingbar); alula, primary coverts and flight-feathers blackish-brown, finely edged yellow (sometimes more broadly edged on secondaries); upper throat black or dull olive, lower throat plain yellow; breast and flanks dull olive or dusky green, heavily and diffusely streaked blackish, belly to undertail-coverts deep yellow; iris brown; upper mandible brown, lower mandible pale brown or pinkish-brown; legs pinkish-brown. Female is similar to male, but face (mostly lores to chin) greyer or greyish-olive, supercilium shorter (fading over eye), slightly heavier streaks on upperparts, streaked dusky brown on throat to belly and flanks. Juvenile is similar to female, but duller or deeper olive on head and upperparts, with paler face and underparts, broad yellowish-buff tips on median and greater upperwing-coverts. Race <em>kirbyi</em> male has upperparts more heavily streaked than nominate, breast slightly darker and streaked blackish-brown, flanks pale lemon-yellow and streaked blackish; umbrosa has upperparts duller or slightly darker green, rump slightly streaked.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Edges and clearings in dense bush of highland or submontane evergreen forests, including (in Eastern Cape) dry Euphorbia-dominated woodlands on south-facing valley slopes; also remnant forest patches in highveld grasslands, edges of cultivation, principally maize (Zea mays), tree plantations, scrub, orchards and gardens. From sea-level to 1800 m.

Resident and partially nomadic; makes local movements in search of fruiting trees or shrubs.

Variety of buds, seeds and fruit, including seeds of Anthospermum, Alternanthera pungens, Bidens pilosa, Senecio tamoides and Senecio polyanthemoides, also ripe figs (Ficus), sneezewood (Ptaeroxylon obliquum); also gathers at flowers or fruit of shrubs and trees, and occasionally at feeders in gardens close to forest. Forages on ground in low vegetation and scrub, also in trees from middle levels to canopy; usually keeps to cover, generally much shyer than C. citrinelloides and C. capistrata. Forages in pairs and small groups; in non-breeding season often in mixed flocks with Serinus canicollis.

Song  , usually from top of tree, a rich and lively high-pitched warble with tinkling notes, downslurred "sweeeu" whistles and trills; also has softer subsong consisting of a series of jumbled notes. Calls include low "tsik", "tsisk" or "tsip-tsip" and plaintive "pee-pee-pee-pyoow, tseet", also a thin "tweetoo, twee-ee" with middle phrase emphasized and repeated frequently.

Season Oct–Mar; occasionally two broods. Monogamous. Territorial; territories evidently small, as two active nests in same tree not unknown. Nest built by female, male assists with collection of material, a small open cup of moss, plant stems, fine plant fibres and lichens, placed up to 1·5 m above ground and well concealed in foliage in bush (frequently thorny bush) or tree. Clutch 2–4 eggs, white or pale bluish-white, sparsely spotted or speckled with greys, reds and browns; incubation by female alone, period 14 days; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period 15–19 days; fledglings fed by both parents.

Not globally threatened. Restricted range species: present in South African Forests EBA. Uncommon or locally common.