From Opus

Alternative name: Vieillot's Black Weaver

Photo by Jan Van den Broeck
Location: Entebbe

Ploceus nigerrimus

[edit] Identification

Length 15-16 cm.

Adult male: A black weaver with a pale yellow eye (in eastern and central Africa). In western Africa, has a chestnut-brown back, rump and belly. Maxwell's Black Weaver has a pale grey eye, is slightly smaller, and is found in the forest canopy.

Adult female: Dark olive, streaked darker above, with pale eyes.

[edit] Distribution

Africa: Guinea to northern Angola, western Tanzania and western Kenya.

[edit] Taxonomy

Ploceus nigerrimus has two subspecies:¹

• P. n. castaneofuscus

• Sierra Leone to eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon
• Back, rump and belly are chestnut-brown.

• P. n. nigerrimus

• Eastern Nigeria to Cameroon, southern Sudan, western Kenya and western Tanzania
• Plumage all black.

[edit] Habitat

Forest edge, secondary growth and villages.

[edit] Behaviour

Breeds in colonies, often with Village Weaver.

[edit] References

1. Clements JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Sinclair I & Ryan P. 2003. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0620207299

[edit] External Links