Cape Siskin
Encyclopedia
The Cape Siskin, Serinus totta, is a small passerine
bird
in the finch
family
. It is an endemic resident breeder in the southern Cape Province
of South Africa
. It is sometimes assigned to the genus Pseudochloroptila as Pseudochloroptila totta.
This species is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Drakensberg Siskin
, Serinus symonsi of eastern Cape Province, western Natal and Lesotho
in which case the nominate western form is S. t totta, and the eastern form is S. t. symonsi.
This locally common but shy and unobtrusive siskin
is found in the southwestern and southern Cape’s rocky slopes, coastal cliffs and fynbos
covered mountains. It also occurs in towns and the suburbs of Cape Town
.
The female is similar but duller; she lacks grey on the head and has more streaking on the face and breast. The juvenile plumage is much like the female’s but duller and with darker or browner underparts.
There is no range overlap with the slightly larger Drakensberg Siskin, which lacks the white spots on the flight feathers and tail and has less uniform upperparts.
The Cape Siskin’s call is a voyp-veeyr, often given in flight. and the song is a weak, pleasant warble similar to the Yellow-fronted Canary
.
dendrograms. Arnaiz-Villena et al.
.
The nest is constructed by the female with fine plant material, lined with plant down and animal hair. The clutch is three or four, occasionally five, eggs, incubated by the female. She is fed by the male on the nest by regurgitation.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
. It is an endemic resident breeder in the southern Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is sometimes assigned to the genus Pseudochloroptila as Pseudochloroptila totta.
This species is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Drakensberg Siskin
Drakensberg Siskin
The Drakensberg Siskin, Serinus symonsi, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the eastern Cape Province Transkei and western Natal in South Africa, and in Lesotho...
, Serinus symonsi of eastern Cape Province, western Natal and Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
in which case the nominate western form is S. t totta, and the eastern form is S. t. symonsi.
This locally common but shy and unobtrusive siskin
Siskin
-Birds:The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words sisschen, zeischen, which are diminuative forms of Middle High German and Middle Low German words, which are themselves apparently of Slavic origin...
is found in the southwestern and southern Cape’s rocky slopes, coastal cliffs and fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
covered mountains. It also occurs in towns and the suburbs of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
Description
The Cape Siskin averages 13 cm in length. The flight feathers and tail have white spots on the tips which are diagnostic for both sexes, and especially visible in flight. The adult male has a light brown back, wing coverts, rump and upper tail and yellow underparts. The head, nape and sides of neck are yellowish grey and olive. Fine dark brown streaks are most prominent on the head and the sides of the throat.The female is similar but duller; she lacks grey on the head and has more streaking on the face and breast. The juvenile plumage is much like the female’s but duller and with darker or browner underparts.
There is no range overlap with the slightly larger Drakensberg Siskin, which lacks the white spots on the flight feathers and tail and has less uniform upperparts.
The Cape Siskin’s call is a voyp-veeyr, often given in flight. and the song is a weak, pleasant warble similar to the Yellow-fronted Canary
Yellow-fronted Canary
The Yellow-fronted Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is known elsewhere and in aviculture as the Green Singing Finch....
.
Phylogeny
Cape Siskin is a canary, which appears more ancient than many others in the phylogenetic SerinusSerinus
The genus Serinus is a large genus of birds in the finch family Fringillidae found mostly in the Afrotropical region with some outlying species in Europe and Asia. The genus contains several species groups including canaries, seedeaters and the African siskins...
dendrograms. Arnaiz-Villena et al.
Breeding
One reason for the taxonomic uncertainty with this species is that, if it is a true siskin, it is the only one which breeds in cavities. A shallow cup nest is constructed in cracks or holes in rocks, on ledges or amongst vegetation, especially ferns. Natural hollows in trees are rarely used. There is a recent record of a nest in an artificial structure, the old lighthouse at Cape PointCape Point
Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town...
.
The nest is constructed by the female with fine plant material, lined with plant down and animal hair. The clutch is three or four, occasionally five, eggs, incubated by the female. She is fed by the male on the nest by regurgitation.