From Opus

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

Photo by IvoZafirov.
Location: Uganda.

Ploceus intermedius

[edit] Identification

Length 13-14 cm.

Adult male: A pale-eyed masked weaver; the black mask extends onto the front half of the crown, and has a notch above the eye.

[edit] Distribution

Africa: North-eastern South Africa to Congo, DRC and Ethiopia, with an isolated popualtion in Central African Republic.

[edit] Taxonomy

The Lesser Masked Weaver has four subspecies:¹

• P. i. intermedius

• South-eastern Sudan to southern Ethiopia, Somalia, eastern Zaire, Kenya and Tanzania

• P. i. beattyi

• Arid coastal western Angola

• P. i. lübberti

• Extreme southern Angola to northern Namibia

• P. i. cabanisii

• South-eastern Zaire to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and eastern South Africa

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland close to water.

[edit] Behaviour

Forages in tree canopy for insects and nectar. Also eats flowers, fruit and small seeds.

[edit] Breeding

It makes a round nest from grass, with an entrance at the bottom. Two to four eggs are incubated for 13 days by the female. Parasitised by Dideric Cuckoo and (rarely) Klaas's Cuckoo.

[edit] References

1. Clements JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533
3. Sinclair I & Ryan P. 2003. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0620207299

[edit] External Links