Crithagra scotops
Forest Canaries are endemic to South Africa and Swaziland, where they are found in and on the edges of forest and other moist, dense habitats from the Western Cape to the escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. They feed primarily on small seeds, flowers and fruit and are very fond of bathing, even in cold mountain streams.
Adults measure 13cm in length and weigh around 15g. They nest in summer, when they’re usually encountered in monogamous pairs or small family groups as opposed to larger flocks numbering around 12 individuals outside of the breeding season. The female constructs the bulky, cup-shaped nest in which she incubates the clutch of 2-4 eggs over a two-week period, with the chicks leaving the nest when they’re almost 3 weeks old.
The IUCN considers the Forest Canary to be of least concern.
DeWetsWild 
Ek hou van die oogstrepies…laat hulle so streng lyk. Pragtige foto’s, Dries!
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Baie dankie, Dina. Ek stem saam dat hulle lyk of hulle n permanente frons of die voorkop het.
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Such lovely little birds. I particularly like the photo of the one with wings spread. Was it about to take off?
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Thank you, Carol, and spot on – they don’t sit still for very long at all before flitting off to another spot.
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I find canaries difficult to tell apart unless you have time for a close look at them – which you clearly have with so many photographs – or ‘know’ which ones are likely to occur in a particular area.
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You are quite right, Anne – they can be very tricky, especially the drabber varieties.
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Such pretty little things. There’s something so attractive about a yellow bird. 🙂
janet
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These little canaries are a joy to find every time!
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Pretty little birds. Their song is nice too. I just listened to a recording.
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Glad you got to hear them, Siobhan. They’re rather shy to sing when they can see a human pointing a camera at them! 🙂
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Sweet little birds. I confess to thinking it unusual to see them in the forest… or in the wild at all. Sadly, my image of ‘canary’ is the bright yellow bird that people always had as pets in cages. Is there a connection?
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This species and the domestic canary we see in aviaries are in fact close family members, from two related genera in the same subfamily of seed-eaters.
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Thanks for this additional info. I wonder where the bright yellow canaries that people have as pets originate from?
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Our pet canaries stem from the Atlantic Canary, which occurs on the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_canary
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Thanks!
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I absolutely adore canaries, Dries. These ones have great eyebrows. ❤
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Those eyebrows make them appear quite cross, don’t you think?
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I thought that too. Feathered brats. 🙂
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Such a pretty little bird.
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That they certainly are, Lois.
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