Damara -or- Black-headed Canary : South Africa ? (1 Viewer)

Hi guys;

After your valuable help again please!

With the 'pied' head on the male and the white-ish brow & cheeks on the female; are this pair Damara Canaries -or- regular Black-headed Canaries?

Seen at West Coast National Park, north of Cape Town, South Africa; September timeframe...

MANY thanks in advance...

Cheers;

Lee

Looks like a hybrid to me.

Depends what list you use but the IOC do not recognise Damara as a species.

We have photos from Namibia which show the same head pattern but that pattern is reverse of what is shown in the book. Damara is shown with a largely white face and black moustachial spot which is the exact opposite of what yours and mine show.

The book state that hybrids are unknow but it also also depicts an all pale bill on Damara which is not apparent on mine or yours either?

andyadcock said:

Looks like a hybrid to me ...

Click to expand...

Thanks Andy; I suspect you are correct... Neither of my South African field guides is really clear... SASOL shows more white on the head, but NEWMAN’S shows less!

Cheers;

Lee