Cape canary

The Cape canary is mostly residential but also shows some seasonal migration. Birds occurring at higher altitudes in Zimbabwe tend to move down to lower areas outside of their breeding season. The Cape canary is a land bird. It is found at 2000-3000 meters of elevation of land and resides in terrestrial areas. This bird on average has a life span of 3.8 years. They also move with irregular flocks sometimes, traveling to non-breeding areas such as the northern Karoo. In the southern Cape, numbers increase during spring, while the species is largely absent from the drier northern parts of its range in summer. == Habitat and Foraging ==

The Cape canary occupies a wide range of habitats. It is commonly found along the edges and clearings of lowland and lower montane forests, including areas with Juniper and Podocarpus trees. Cape canaries mostly feed on soft green seeds. They forage among low vegetation within reach of flowers and shrubs, taking seeds directly from the ground or flower heads. They forage in pairs and flocks of up to 50 birds during breeding season. In non-breeding seasons they join other flocks to forage with up to 500 birds. == Breeding ==

Breeding occurs from mostly August to February. They pair up and often nest in loose groups. The male does a slow flight while singing loudly, then swoops and chases the female canary. The female becomes droop-winged in response. The female typically builds the nest, usually made of roots, plant fluff, moss, hair, and feathers. It is placed 1–20 m up in a tree or vine. They lay 2–5 speckled eggs. The female broods the eggs for about 2 weeks. Both parents feed the chicks, which leave the nest after about 2–3 weeks, sometimes before they can properly fly. Most egg and chick losses are from predators and parasites. They can live at least 5 years. == Red List Category ==

The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Cape canaries as “Least Concern” category on the Red List. The Cape canary shows a stable population trend. Its extent of occurrence is 1,570,000 km2. ==Subspecies==

Arranged alphabetically. • Cape canary (S. c. canicollis) (Swainson, 1838) • S. c. griseitergum Clancey, 1967 • Kivu canary (S. c. sassii) Neumann, 1922 The East African subspecies (S. c. flavivertex) is very distinctive, much brighter, and with a yellow head, lacking the grey colour. It is now usually given species status as the yellow-crowned canary (S. flavivertex). ==Gallery==

Image:Cape Canary RWD.jpg|South Africa File:Cape Canaries.jpg|Four in a tree, South Africa ==References==