The West African seedeater (Crithagra canicapilla) is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, southern Mali and northern Ivory Coast across to southern Niger and northern Cameroon.Some authorities consider the West African seedeater as a subspecies of the streaky-headed seedeater (Crithagra gularis).Three subspecies are recognised: C. c. canicapilla - (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1855) C. c. elgonensis - (Ogilvie-Grant, 1912) C. c.