Bird of the Week – Whitethroated canary
There is no tribal name and in Arikaans they are known as witkeelkanarie.
THE whitethroated canary is a common resident in the drier parts of Eastern Cape, Free State, Western and Northern Cape to Namibia and South West Angola.
They like riverine thorn, bush and scrub in semi-arid grassveld and desert, and are also found in the West Coast bush near water.
These canaries are solitary or in pairs and small groups of eight birds. Flocks of up to 30 gather at water sites, as they drink often.
The bird’s food preference is seeds especially grass, sunflower and aloes as well as berries, bugs and insects. They forage on the ground and perch on aloes and bushes.
The whitethroated canary is rather quiet except for a call note on take off, which is a distinctive, deep ‘skweeyik’ and a song of short phases and jumbled trills.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVAruhQDKk0/?tagged=whitethroatedcanary
Breeding takes place from August until April and varies with rainfall.
The nest is a cup of twigs and grass stems lined with plant downing. Three to four creamy-white eggs with a pinkish or greenish tinge are laid. The incubation is 13 to 14 days and nestlings remain for 15 to 17 days.
There is no tribal name and in Arikaans they are known as witkeelkanarie.
