Streaky-headed Seedeater (Crithagra gularis) [XC523725]
by Lynette Rudman from Ebb & Flo area, Wilderness National Park, South Cape DC, Western Cape, South Africa (song)
Streaky-headed Seedeater (Crithagra gularis) [XC292883]
by from Eweni, Champagne Castle, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (call, song)
Subspecies
Streaky-headed Seedeater (Crithagra gularis) and West African Seedeater (Crithagra canicapilla) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Serinus gularis following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993).
Thought to form a superspecies with Reichard's Seedeater (Crithagra reichardi), and previously considered conspecific. On basis of limited mitochondrial DNA analysis, both species, together with Black-eared Seedeater (Crithagra mennelli), sometimes placed in genus Poliospiza, indicating only distant relationship with other African members of present genus, but detailed consideration of all taxa in current genus is required before full generic revision can be made. Considerable variation among subspecies in ventral streaking. Further, elgonensis from southern Sudan and western Kenya does not respond to playback of taped songs of nominate.
Proposed subspecies uamensis (described from Basum, near R Ouham, in southern Chad) is treated as a synonym of elgonensis. Subspecies montium originally described as "montanorum" but incorrect Latin must be rectified.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
canicapilla (Du Bus, 1855) - Guinea, Sierra Leone and southern Mali to northern Cameroon. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, West African Seedeater (Crithagra canicapilla).
montanorum (Bannerman, 1923) - Highlands of eastern Nigeria and central and western Cameroon. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of West African Seedeater (Crithagra canicapilla).
elgonensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1912) - Southern Chad, north-western Central African Republic, northern DRCongo, southern Sudan, northern Uganda and extreme western Kenya. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of West African Seedeater (Crithagra canicapilla).
benguellensis (Reichenow, 1904) - Central Angola, western Zambia and extreme north-eastern Namibia.
gularis (Smith, 1836) - South-eastern Botswana and northern South Africa (Limpopo and northern North West Cape Province).
endemion (Clancey, 1952) - Southern Mozambique, Swaziland, eastern South Africa (Mpumalanga south to central Free State and KwaZulu-Natal) and Lesotho.
humilis (Bonaparte, 1850) - Southern South Africa (Western Cape and eastern Cape).