Cape White-eyes in the Eastern Cape: plumage characters, survival, and movements.

Abstract

Almost all our records of green-bellied Cape White-eyes are outside the breeding season, with a peak in winter. They possibly come from localities to the east of Grahamstown, Bathurst and Port Alfred, but we have no direct evidence of such movement, nor of altitudinal migration between coastal and inland sites. The higher frequency of green-bellied birds at the coastal ringing sites may suggest local movements within the coastal belt, or occasional coastwards movement by adjoining populations, which could also account for the diversity of flank colours recorded in a small proportion of the birds.