Alternative names: Fernando Po Oliveback; Little Olive Weaver; Little Olive Waxbill; Little Oliveback
- Nesocharis shelleyi
Identification
8cm.
Male
- Black head and throat
- Grey nape-collar and white vertical line behind ear-coverts
- Olive upperparts, tinged golden on rump, blackish-brown upperwing
- Blackish tail
- Olive breast, belly and undertail-coverts
- Pale blue-grey bill with dusky tip
Female
- Reduced or lacking white line behind face
- Grey breast
Juveniles are similar to females but duller and with a brownish tinge.
Distribution
Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.
A common to uncommon restricted-range species. Easy to overlook.
Taxonomy
Nesocharis shelleyi has two subspecies:[1]
- N. s. shelleyi
- N. s. bansoensis
May form a superspecies with White-collared Oliveback and is even sometimes considered conspecific.
Habitat
Found in montane forest and cocoa plantations.
Occurs mainly between 1550 and 2100m in Cameroon, 50m and higher in Bioko.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on small insects and seeds.
Forages actively in all forest levels, often hangs upside-down.
Usually seen singly, in pairs or small groups.
Breeding
Breeding season from December to March in Cameroon, January in Nigeria. Breeding recorded in old nests of Northern Double-collared Sunbird and Black-billed Weaver. Lays 3 eggs.
Movements
A resident species. Some altitudinal movements possible in Bioko.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2010. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 15: Weavers to New World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553682
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Shelley's Oliveback. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Shelley%27s_Oliveback
