540 : sparrows, weavers, bishops, widows and queleas

Breeding: The models show an early-summer breeding peak throughout its range, including the winter-rainfall areas. Breeding is clearly more seasonal in the southern part of the range (Zones 4 and 8), and occurs throughout the year further north, particularly in the most arid part of the range (Zone 2) (see also Maclean 1993b). Peak breeding is about a month earlier in the southwestern Cape Province (Zone 4) than in the Transvaal (Zone 6), confirming published information (Winterbottom 1968a; Tarboton et al. 1987b). In a detailed study in Bloemfontein (2926AA), Earlé (1988a) found differ- ences in the timing of breeding and in breeding success between Cape Sparrows living in preferred rural and suburban environments, as compared to urban areas. Interspecific relationships: It associates with other seed- eating such as Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris and, less often, Whitethroated Canary S. albogularis. It mixes freely with the Ploceus capensis and bishop spp. at a food source (Clement et al. 1993). It both coexists and competes with House and Greyheaded Sparrows for food in gardens (pers. obs). Earlé (1988a) de- Cape Sparrow scribed differences in habitat preference between Cape and Gewone Mossie House Sparrows, resulting in differences in timing of breed- ing, breeding success and body condition between rural, sub- melanurus urban and urban environments. The Cape Sparrow is one of the prime hosts of the Diederik The Cape Sparrow is virtually endemic to southern Africa; it Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius (Maclean 1993b). is abundant throughout South Africa, except the tropical low- Historical distribution and conservation: There is no lands of the Transvaal and northern KwaZulu-Natal. It occurs evidence of recent changes in the distribution in southern across , except in the Desert and the wood- Africa. However, the species has certainly benefited from land regions in the northeast. It has been sparsely reported human settlements and agriculture and it is likely that its over- from the Kalahari in , typically near human settle- all range and abundance have increased considerably since ment, and most records from that country are clustered along southern Africa was settled. Other changes have been docu- the River and tributaries, and agricultural regions in mented; for example Rowan (1966) noted that, during the the southeastern hardveld. It occurs marginally in southeast- 1950s, the diet of Cape Sparrows in the southwestern Cape ern where the first breeding record was in 1990 at Province changed from granivory to seasonal frugivory, Nottingham Estates (2229BA) (Hustler et al. 1991). Outside following the introduction of different tillage methods in the of southern Africa it occurs along the coastal plain in south- vineyards. The Cape Sparrow is not threatened (Brooke western Angola, north to Benguela (Traylor 1963). The three 1984b). currently recognized (Clancey 1980b) have con- W.R.J. Dean tinuous distributions. The high reporting rates over much of its range are influ- enced by the species’ tendency to live near human habitation. Recorded in 2482 grid cells, 54.7% It is nevertheless probably one of the commonest birds in Total number of records: 60 757 southern Africa, usually seen in pairs or family groups, but it Mean reporting rate for range: 54.3% often forms large flocks when not breeding (Maclean 1993b). The atlas data may be considered reliable and comprehen- sive. The male Cape Sparrow is unlikely to be confused with Reporting rates for vegetation types any other , but the female has a superficial resemblance % 0306090 to the Greyheaded P. diffusus, Great P. motitensis and House P. domesticus Sparrows. Grassy Karoo 82.2 Habitat: It occurs mainly in relatively arid Karoo and grass- Sweet Grasslands 78.1 land biomes in the west, where it prefers woody vegetation Succulent Karoo 71.3 along drainage lines. It is common on farms in grassland, and Mixed Grasslands 69.5 in gardens and parks in villages, towns and cities. It can be- Nama Karoo 67.4 come very common in intensive agricultural areas, such as Fynbos 64.8 irrigated farms and vineyards (Rowan 1966; Siegfried 1972b) Central Kalahari 59.3 and farmyard ‘oases’ in the arid regions, where it successfully Sour Grasslands 55.6 uses alien vegetation such as Saltbush Atriplex nummularia Southern Kalahari 45.2 and Mesquite Prosopis spp. for nest sites (pers. obs). Moist 34.5 Movements: The models with low scatter indicate a drop Alpine Grasslands 33.7 in reporting rates just after breeding in Zones 4 and 8, where Namib 28.7 the breeding season is compressed, but not in other regions Valley Bushveld 25.9 with prolonged breeding seasons (Zones 6–7). The differences Namibian Escarpment 21.1 are probably related to quiet behaviour during moult, and to Arid Woodland 8.9 post-breeding dispersal from breeding territories near human Northern Kalahari 1.9 habitation to the countryside. Rural birds disperse further than East Coast Littoral 1.9 urban breeders (Earlé 1988a). Mopane 1.9 Ploceidae: sparrows, weavers, bishops, widows and queleas 541

14û

CAPE SPARROW 5 1 18û

22û 2 6

26û

3 7 30û Reporting rate (%) > 74.9 35.7 — 74.9 2.0 — 35.6

< 2.0 34û 4 8 18û 22û 26û 14û 30û 10û 34û

80 60 1 5 20 40 10 20

80 60 2 6 20 40 10 20

80 60 3 7 20 40 10 20

80 Occurrence reporting rate (%) 60 4 8 20 Breeding reporting rate (%) 40 10 20

J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ Models of seasonality for Zones. Number of records (top to bottom, left to right): Occurrence: 99, 780, 3525, 5461, 4, 2195, 9868, 1542; Breeding: 9, 58, 445, 675, 0, 472, 1980, 197.