Protea canary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Protea canary |
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| Illustration by William Matthew Hart, 1888 | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Crithagra |
| Species: |
C. leucoptera
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| Binomial name | |
| Crithagra leucoptera Sharpe, 1871
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| Synonyms | |
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Serinus leucopterus |
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The protea canary (Crithagra leucoptera) is a small, charming bird. It is also known as the protea seedeater or white-winged seedeater. This little bird belongs to the finch family.
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About the Protea Canary
The protea canary is a special bird found only in one part of the world. It lives in the mountains of South Africa. This bird is known for its beautiful song and shy nature.
What Does it Look Like?
The protea canary is about 15–16 cm (6 inches) long. It has a fairly large, light-colored beak. Its back and upper parts are grey-brown. It has a black chin and a white throat. You can also spot two thin, light brown stripes on its wings.
Its belly and chest are a light buff color with some faint streaks. Both male and female birds look quite similar. However, young protea canaries have more noticeable streaks on their undersides.
What Does it Sound Like?
This bird has a lovely voice! Its call sounds like a trilled tree-lee-loo or a simple sweet. The protea canary's song is loud and full of different warbles and trills. It often copies sounds it hears from other birds.
Where Does it Live?
The protea canary lives only in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This means it is an endemic bird. It prefers to live in mature protea scrublands. You can also find it in tangled thickets and forests in the mountains. It does not live near the coast.
What Does it Eat?
The protea canary mostly eats seeds. It especially loves the seeds from protea plants. It also eats seeds from Othonna amplericaules and Rhus anarcardia plants. Sometimes, it will also snack on fruit, nectar, and young plant shoots. Occasionally, it eats insects too.
Behaviour and Nesting
The protea canary is not as social as some other canaries. You will usually see it alone or in pairs. Sometimes, you might spot a small group. This bird is quite shy and likes to stay hidden in thick plants. If it flies, it quickly dives back into cover.
When it's time to build a nest, the protea canary creates an open cup nest. It uses thin stems and other plant materials. The inside of the nest is lined with soft plant down. It usually places its nest in a dense bush for safety.
 | Precious Adams |
 | Lauren Anderson |
 | Janet Collins |
