South Africa: little greenish bird with red-ringed eyes (1 Viewer)

[Ralph Timmermann]

Hello everybody,

long time no read

Does anybody have any clue about this nice little greenish fellow? He was sharing a tree with a bunch of Weavers in a rest camp in Hluhluwe Game Reserve. From the beak I was thinking "Finch", but I could not find any with a red eye-ring in Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. Plus I have another picture with him eating a lovely green worm - not very Finch-like, is it? Any hint anybody?

Thanks for helping me think and best regards,
Ralph

 

[Jean FRANCOIS]

Southern Masked Weaver
Jean

 

[Ralph Timmermann]

Southern Masked Weaver
Jean

Female or non-breeding male? It's the color of the beak that confuses me.

Thank you though! A weaver does make sense, given the neighborhood....

Ralph

 

[Jean FRANCOIS]

Female or non-breeding male? It's the color of the beak that confuses me.

Thank you though! A weaver does make sense, given the neighborhood....

Ralph

It's a male ; too yellow for a female.
Jean

 

[Ralph Timmermann]

Thanks Jean! Any idea why this particular specimen might be non-breeding? Two young? Two old? Into something else? I apologize for these totally stupid questions; I am technically not a birder, but I find the difference in appearance between breeding and non-breeding male Weavers quite peculiar.

Best regards,
Ralph

 

[Jean FRANCOIS]

Any idea why this particular specimen might be non-breeding? Two young? Two old? I am technically not a birder, but I find the difference in appearance between breeding and non-breeding male Weavers quite peculiar.

It is always useful to specify the date for a good analysis of age.
Here, for me, the black beak indicates an adult.
So, male ad non-breeding.
Jean