From Opus

Photo by Mybs
Photo taken: Blouvlei Wetlands near Cape Town, South Africa

Serinus flaviventris

Crithagra flaviventris

[edit] Identification

Length 13-14 cm, 13-21 g.

Adult male (S. f. flaviventris): Forehead, eyebrows and cheeks yellow; crown, nape and mantle olive green with brown flecks. The eye-stripes, ear-coverts and sides of the neck are olive-khaki, and the malar stripes are olive-green. The back is olive-khaki and the rump and upper tail coverts greenish yellow. The tail and wings are dusky brown, feathers edged green or yellow. The underparts are a rich yellow; greenish yellow on the breast and greyish-yellow on the flanks. Bill horn with a pinkish base; eyes, legs and feet brown.

Adult female: Duller than the male; crown, nape, mantle and back are pale greyish olive, streaked brown; eye-stripes, ear-coverts and malar stripes greyish olive; eye-brows and lower cheeks buffy white. Rump and upper tail coverts yellowish olive. Throat, breast and flanks buffy white with brown streaks.

[edit] Similar species

The Yellow-fronted Canary has a more brightly contrasting yellow rump, duller yellow underparts, a white-tipped tail, and is smaller. Brimstone Canary is larger with a heavier bill and green (not yellow) forehead; more green overall. White-throated Canary is similar to the female Yellow Canary, but larger, has a heavier bill, is less streaked, and the yellow-green rump contrasts more with the greyish-brown back and mantle.

[edit] Distribution

Southern Africa: Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and south-western Angola. Introduced to the island of St. Helena.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are four subspecies:²

• S. f. flaviventris

• Western and southern South Africa and southern Namibia

• S. f. marshalli

• Highveld (high-altitude plateau) of east-central South Africa and lowlands of western Lesotho
• Male has lemon-chrome rump and underparts and greenish-tellow crown.

• S. f. damarensis

• North-central South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and south-western Angola.
• Yellower upperparts than nominate, face markings less contrasting, and rump lemon-chrome.

• S. f. guillarmodi

• Lesotho highlands
• Larger than nominate; broader dark centres to crown and back feathers. Female: The sides of the face are darker grey than the nominate, and the throat and breast more heavily striped.

Clements¹ recognises seven subspecies.

[edit] Habitat

Shrublands, semi-arid savanna, fynbos. Also thickets of alien Acacia, gardens, dune vegetation, coastal wetlands and beaches with seaweed.

[edit] Behaviour

Conspicuous; in flocks when not breeding, sometimes with other granivores. Forages on the ground and in forbs and shrubs, eating flowers, seeds, nectar, insects and small crustaceans.

[edit] Breeding

Monogamous and probably territorial. The nest is built by the female in as little as three days using a variety of plant material. Two to five eggs are laid and incubated for 12-16 days by the female.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019
2. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533

[edit] External Links