SOUTH Africa is fortunate to host 11 species of canary of which four are found in the Highway area. In this edition, Kloof Conservancy features the most common of the species in the Highway area and that is the Yellow-fronted Canary. As expected of canaries this species can sing and in some parts of the world it is known as the green singing finch.
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Description
This is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is approximately 12cm in length and weighs 12g. Its feathers are a mixture of bright lemon yellow and olive green. The breast feathers and rump are lemon yellow; the back of the head is olive grey, and the back feathers are olive with streaks of bright yellow. It has a distinguishing olive-grey eye stripe and dark brown eyes. Males and females are very similar with the female being a bit lighter and duller.
The Yellow-fronted Canary is renowned for its singing ability and the song is a series of high-pitched but very pleasant chips. It can also mimic some other birds which adds to its repertoire.
Distribution
The Yellow-fronted Canary is found throughout most parts of sub-Saharan Africa except the arid areas. In South Africa, it is found along the moist eastern parts of the country from the Eastern Cape northwards.
Habitat
They enjoy grassy areas and forest edges and are often found in gardens and parks.
Feeding
This species is a seed eater, and they enjoy seeds from a wide variety of plants, so they are adaptable and not restricted in range. They are particularly fond of the seeds of Pigeonwoods, and they can often be spotted feeding in smallish flocks or in the company of other small birds. They will occasionally feed on insects such as termites or aphids
Breeding
The Yellow-fronted Canary is a monogamous species and pairs for life. The nest building is left largely to the female and consists of a deep cup made with leaves, bark and dead grass. The nest is often ‘tied’ to supporting branches with the web of spiders. The female works hard during the breeding season, and she is left to do all the incubating and the feeding of the young, but the male does bring food to the nest throughout the nesting period
Predators and threats
This species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and in the normal course of life in the wild they are preyed upon by raptors and snakes. Sadly and because of their singing ability they are popular as cage birds and subject to the abominable abuses of the pet trade. As a result, it is also found outside of its native Africa.
Local information
The Yellow-fronted Canary is found throughout the Highway area. Good places to look for it are in your very own backyard and at the edges of some of our grassland areas. You are likely to come across them on a visit to any of our local parks such as Memorial Park or Jubilee Park.
Interesting facts
Yellow-fronted canaries do enjoy their singing and the males will often engage is singing ‘competitions’ with their melodic calls.
Flock’s or groups of canaries are called an ‘opera’ or an ‘aria’ of canaries.
Support–
To support the ongoing work of the Kloof Conservancy, visit its website at https://www.kloofconservancy.org.za.
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