Cape Canary

The Cape Canary, Western Cape, South Africa

Cape canaries are  common and gregarious residents in southern Afica and have also been introduced into Renunion and Mauritius. They inhabit montane grassland, scrubby hillsides, open savanna and coastal dunes preferably with trees and proteas ( a type of flowering bush).  

Feeding

Their diet includes seeds, buds, grain, fruit and flowers.

Breeding

The cape canary is monogamous and only occasionally nests in colonies of up to 12 couples. The female builds a compact, thick-walled cup made of pine needles , leaves, twigs lichen or wool lined with plant down, feather and fur. It is usually located in a tree fork or horizontal branch of a bush or tree at a height of between one and eighteen metres.  The female also incubates the one to five,  white to pale green, spotted eggs and both she and her chicks are fed by the male until the chicks are fledged. 

Wildfile Specials

• The female cape canary broods the chicks for the first two days after which she remains on the nest with wings outstretched to protects the chicks from both rain and sun. The male works hard to ensure his family is fed. 
• The rim of the nest is made of rootlets, and the chicks use it as their toilet, a behaviour unique to canaries.