South-western and south-eastern Angola, west, southern and eastern Zambia, Malawi and north-western Mozambique south to coasts of South Africa. Introduced on Sío Tomé, apparently from Mozambique.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Proposed subspecies peixotoi (confined to Sío Tomé, where introduced!), finschi (described from Namibe, in south-western Angola), caurinus (from Damaraland, in Namibia), shelleyi (from Tete, on R Zambezi, in north-western Mozambique) and, in South Africa, tahatali (from North West Province), inustus (from south-western Northern Cape) and nigrifrons (from Eastern Cape) separated on basis of minor differences in male plumage. Hewever, characters such as width of black on forehead exhibit considerable individual variation and naming of subspecies appears unwarranted.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
velatus Vieillot, 1819 - Southern Angola to Mozambique and south to southern and eastern South Africa. Also São Tomé.
nigrifrons (Cabanis, 1851) - Eastern Cape, northern and western Natal and western Swaziland.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet