m (→Distribution: Changed Swaziland to eSwatini) |
m (→Subspecies: Changed Swaziland to eSwatini) |
||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
:*Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State | :*Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State | ||
*''P. v. nigrifrons'': | *''P. v. nigrifrons'': | ||
| − | :*Eastern Cape, northern and western [[Natal]] and western [[ | + | :*Eastern Cape, northern and western [[Natal]] and western [[eSwatini]] |
*''P. v. tahatali'': | *''P. v. tahatali'': | ||
| − | :*[[Zimbabwe]], south-eastern [[Botswana]], south-western [[Mozambique]], eastern [[ | + | :*[[Zimbabwe]], south-eastern [[Botswana]], south-western [[Mozambique]], eastern [[eSwatini]], north-eastern Natal |
*''P. v. shelleyi'': | *''P. v. shelleyi'': | ||
:*[[Zambia]], [[Malawi]] and [[Mozambique]] | :*[[Zambia]], [[Malawi]] and [[Mozambique]] | ||
| Line 37: | Line 37: | ||
Subspecies ''tahatali, shelleyi, caurinu'' and ''finschi'' are not recognised by all authorities<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>. | Subspecies ''tahatali, shelleyi, caurinu'' and ''finschi'' are not recognised by all authorities<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>. | ||
| + | |||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
Shrubland, savanna, grassland, coastal fynbos, open woodland, inland wetlands, semi-desert areas, suburban gardens, and parks. | Shrubland, savanna, grassland, coastal fynbos, open woodland, inland wetlands, semi-desert areas, suburban gardens, and parks. | ||
Revision as of 08:28, 15 November 2021
- Ploceus velatus
Identification
Length: 13 cm (5 in), mass 29-45 g. Males larger than females
Breeding male: Black face, throat and beak, red eye, bright yellow head and underparts, plain yellowish-green back, short, strong, conical bill and pink brown legs.
Adult female and non-breeding male: Pink-brown bill (not grey contra one field guide), brown or red-brown eye. Upper parts yellow-olive, streaked darker on the upper back, yellow throat fading to off-white on the belly. The non-breeding male resembles the female but retains the red eye.
Juvenile: Similar to the female.
Similar species
Some Village Weavers have a black mask similar to the mask of this species, but they do not have black above the bill.
Distribution
Africa:
Western Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola
Eastern Africa: Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and eSwatini.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Six subspecies[1]:
- P. v. velatus:
- Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State
- P. v. nigrifrons:
- P. v. tahatali:
- Zimbabwe, south-eastern Botswana, south-western Mozambique, eastern eSwatini, north-eastern Natal
- P. v. shelleyi:
- Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique
- P. v. caurinus:
- P. v. finschi:
- Coastal Angola
Subspecies tahatali, shelleyi, caurinu and finschi are not recognised by all authorities[2].
Habitat
Shrubland, savanna, grassland, coastal fynbos, open woodland, inland wetlands, semi-desert areas, suburban gardens, and parks.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects, seeds and nectar, and it will come to feeding tables.
Breeding
They nest singly or in small colonies, mainly from September to January. The males build up to 15 nests in a season and have several female partners. The nests are woven from reed, palm or grass and built in a tree or in reeds. A female selects a nest and lines it with soft grass and feathers. One to six eggs are incubated for 12-14 days by the female.
Parasitised by Dideric Cuckoo.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Southern Masked Weaver. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Southern_Masked_Weaver
External Links
