Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni Scientific name definitions

15–16 cm; 24–35 g. Large, stoutly built, drab-coloured finch with heavy bill. Nominate race has head and upperparts dark olive-brown, streaked darker or blackish on mantle and back, uppertail-coverts like back but edged paler; variably broad whitish patch across forehead and forecrown or restricted to pale spot at side (above lores); face dark brown or blackish, whitish tips on lower cheek; tail dark brown, finely edged greenish-yellow; upperwing blackish-brown, median and greater coverts edged browner or olive-green and finely tipped white or buffish-white, alula, primary coverts and flight-feathers blackish-brown, remiges finely edged olive-yellowish, tertials similar or edged buff-brown or more broadly buffish-grey towards tips; chin to side of throat dark brown (may show a few white feather tips), breast and flanks paler olive-brown, broadly streaked dark brown, streaks continuing narrowly to side of undertail-coverts, rest of underparts pale buff; iris black; bill blackish or dark horn above, whitish-horn below; legs dull pinkish-brown. Differs from C. melanochra in having white on forehead, darker underparts, white tips on wing-coverts and tertials, and in lacking short supercilium. Sexes alike. Juvenile is like adult, but paler brown, forehead to crown whitish with fine black streaking, lores to cheek, chin and side of throat whitish, finely spotted with black (pale bases and blackish tips of feathers), broad pale buff tips on median and greater upper­wing-coverts, paler and more diffusely streaked underparts, blackish bill with paler base of lower mandible. Race tanganjicae is slightly smaller than nominate and has smaller, weaker bill, less white on forehead (white sometimes absent), olive-brown upperparts less heavily streaked, edges of flight-feathers greenish, underparts also more extensively browner, in C Angola darker or greyish-olive and tips to wing-coverts greyer; albifrons has rather narrow line of white (sometimes lacking) across base of upper mandible, has dark streaks on crown, mantle and scapulars, yellowish wash on (less black) upperparts, brighter green edges of flight-feathers, paler belly and flanks streaked dark brown; kilimensis is slightly darker above than nominate, upperparts tinged greenish-olive, normally no white on forehead.

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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.

Undergrowth of lower montane to submontane bush, in clearings and edges of forest, including strips of riverine forest, and in open heath with grassland or scattered woodland on hillsides with small bushes above tree-line. At 1370–3000 m in W Africa and 1700–3000 m in E, exceptionally down to 1200 m in Kenya.

Sedentary.

Mainly seeds, including hard-shelled tree seeds, e.g. those of Senecio montuosum, Nuxia and Gnidia, also ripe and unripe Rubus berries, and fruits including Musanga and Trema and Schefflera goetzenii. Forages in undergrowth and creepers, occasionally in lianas, also in treetops; slow or sluggish and generally shy, unobtrusive and easily overlooked, its presence usually indicated only by occasional contact call. Singly, in pairs and in small groups.

Season Jun–Dec, also Feb–May. Monogamous. Solitary. Nest a small open cup of grass, plant fibres, lichens and twigs, placed 2–8 m from ground in bush, in epiphytes along horizontal branch of tree or in clump of bamboo leaves. Clutch 2 eggs; incubation apparently by both parents. No further information.

Not globally threatened. Locally abundant, common, uncommon or scarce. Easily overlooked.