Habitat
Subtropical and tropical high altitude shrubland, subtropical and tropical moist montane forest. From 1,500 - 3,000 m, occasionally down to 1,200 m.
Thick-billed Seedeater (Crithagra burtoni) [XC120992]
by Michael Hurben from Ngo-Ketunjia, Northwest, Cameroon (song)
Thick-billed Seedeater (Crithagra burtoni) [XC739623]
by id from Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kisoro, Western Region, Uganda (call)
Subspecies
Thick-billed Seedeater (Crithagra burtoni) and Kipengere Seedeater (Crithagra melanochroa) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) are retained as separate species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include melanochrous as a subspecies of Thick-billed Seedeater (Crithagra burtoni).
Has previously been placed in genus Crithagra, and more recent mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates distant relationship with present African congeners, but detailed consideration of all taxa in current genus is required before full generic revision can be made. Sometimes thought to form a superspecies with Kipengere Seedeater (Crithagra melanochroa) and Principe Seedeater (Crithagra rufobrunnea). Has been treated as conspecific with Kipengere Seedeater (Crithagra melanochroa), but differs morphologically and vocally.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
burtoni (Gray, 1862) - Extreme south-eastern Nigeria, south-western Cameroon and Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
tanganjicae (Granvik, 1923) - West-central Angola; eastern DRCongo east to western Uganda, western Rwanda and western Burundi.
kilimensis Richmond, 1897 - Extreme eastern Uganda, south-western Kenya and northern and western Tanzania.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet