Southern masked weaver
Southern masked weaver | |
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Male, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | |
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Female, Erongo, Namibia | |
Conservation status | |
![]() Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Ploceidae |
Genus: | Ploceus |
Species: | P. velatus |
Binomial name | |
Ploceus velatus Vieillot, 1819 | |
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Range |
The southern masked weaver (Ploceus velatus), or African masked weaver, is a resident breeding bird species common throughout southern Africa.
This weaver is very widespread and found in a wide range of habitats, including shrubland, savanna, grassland, open woodland, inland wetlands and semi-desert areas. It also occurs in suburban gardens and parks.
Description
The southern masked weaver is 11–14.5 cm (4.3–5.7 in) long with a short, strong, conical bill and pinkish brown legs. The adult male in breeding plumage has a black face, throat and beak, red eye, bright yellow head and underparts, and a plain yellowish-green back,
The female has a pinkish-brown bill, brown or red-brown eye and is dull greenish-yellow, streaked darker on the upper back. The throat is yellowish, fading to off-white on the belly. The non-breeding male resembles the female but retains the red eye. The juvenile of this species is like the female.
The call is a harsh swizzling, similar to other weavers. It also utters a sharp chuk alarm note.
Behaviour and ecology
Nest building and breeding
The southern masked weaver nests in colonies, mainly from September to January. Males have several female partners, and build a succession of nests, typically 25 each season. The nests, like those of other weavers, are woven from reed, palm or grass. A female will line a selected nest with soft grass and feathers. The nest is built in a tree, often over water, but sometimes in suburbia. This weaver also nests in reeds.
The southern masked weaver lays eggs of a various colour and this helps it to evade parasitisation by cuckoos because the cuckoo has no way of knowing what kind of eggs are inside the weaver's nest until it has entered the nest to attempt to lay one itself. Eggs of the wrong colouration are ejected by the nest owners.[2][3]
Feeding
The southern masked weaver is usually seen singly or in small groups. It may also form larger flocks, alone or with other seed eating species. It eats insects, seeds and nectar, and will come to feeding tables.
Gallery
- Finished nest with intricate details (Etosha, Namibia)
- Nesting colony, Kruger National Park
- Male starting to build nest, Johannesburg
- Male building nest, Johannesburg
References
General references
- Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1
- SASOL e-guide
Citations
- ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Ploceus velatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22718890A132122348. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22718890A132122348.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ Hunter, H. C. (June 1961). "Parasitism of the Masked Weaver Ploceus Velatus Arundinaceus". Ostrich. 32 (2): 55–63. Bibcode:1961Ostri..32...55H. doi:10.1080/00306525.1961.9633074.
- ^ David Attenborough, The Life of Birds, Episode 8, 46 minutes 15 seconds ff
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus in Weaver Watch
- Masked Weaver Swartkeelgeelvink Ploceus velatus in the Southern African Bird Atlas
- v
- t
- e
- White-billed buffalo weaver (B. albirostris)
- Red-billed buffalo weaver (B. niger)
- White-headed buffalo weaver (D. dinemelli)
- Speckle-fronted weaver (S. frontalis)
- Scaly-feathered weaver (S. squamifrons)
- White-browed sparrow-weaver (P. mahali)
- Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Chestnut-backed sparrow-weaver (P. rufoscapulatus)
- Donaldson Smith's sparrow-weaver (P. donaldsoni)
- Rufous-tailed weaver (H. ruficauda)
- Grey-capped social weaver (P. arnaudi)
- Black-capped social weaver (P. cabanisi)
- Sociable weaver (P. socius)
- Compact weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Black-chinned weaver (P. nigrimentus)
- Baglafecht weaver (P. baglafecht)
- Bertram's weaver (P. bertrandi)
- Slender-billed weaver (P. pelzelni)
- Loango weaver (P. subpersonatus)
- Little weaver (P. luteolus)
- Lesser masked weaver (P. intermedius)
- Spectacled weaver (P. ocularis)
- Bannerman's weaver (P. bannermani)
- Bates's weaver (P. batesi)
- Black-necked weaver (P. nigricollis)
- Black-billed weaver (P. melanogaster)
- Strange weaver (P. alienus)
- Bocage's weaver (P. temporalis)
- Cape weaver (P. capensis)
- Eastern golden weaver (P. subaureus)
- Holub's golden weaver (P. xanthops)
- Príncipe weaver (Ploceus princeps)
- Orange weaver (P. aurantius)
- Golden palm weaver (P. bojeri)
- Taveta weaver (P. castaneiceps)
- Ruvu weaver (P. holoxanthus)
- Southern brown-throated weaver (P. xanthopterus)
- Northern brown-throated weaver (P. castanops)
- Kilombero weaver (P. burnieri)
- Rüppell's weaver or Rueppell's weaver (P. galbula)
- Heuglin's masked weaver (P. heuglini)
- Northern masked weaver (P. taeniopterus)
- Vitelline masked weaver (P. vitellinus)
- Southern masked weaver (P. velatus)
- Katanga masked weaver (P. katangae)
- Lufira masked weaver (P. ruweti)
- Tanzanian masked weaver (P. reichardi)
- Village weaver (P. cucullatus)
- Giant weaver (P. grandis)
- Speke's weaver (P. spekei)
- Fox's weaver (P. spekeoides)
- Vieillot's black weaver (P. nigerrimus)
- Weyns's weaver (P. weynsi)
- Clarke's weaver (P. golandi)
- Black-headed weaver (P. melanocephalus)
- Juba weaver (P. dichrocephalus)
- Golden-backed weaver (P. jacksoni)
- Cinnamon weaver (P. badius)
- Chestnut weaver (P. rubiginosus)
- Golden-naped weaver (P. aureonucha)
- Yellow-mantled weaver (P. tricolor)
- Maxwell's black weaver (P. albinucha)
- Nelicourvi weaver (P. nelicourvi)
- Sakalava weaver (P. sakalava)
- Streaked weaver (P. manyar)
- Baya weaver (P. philippinus)
- Asian golden weaver (P. hypoxanthus)
- Finn's weaver (P. megarhynchus)
- Black-breasted weaver (P. benghalensis)
- Dark-backed weaver (P. bicolor)
- Preuss's weaver (P. preussi)
- Yellow-capped weaver (P. dorsomaculatus)
- Usambara weaver (P. nicolli)
- Olive-headed weaver (P. olivaceiceps)
- Brown-capped weaver (P. insignis)
- Bar-winged weaver (P. angolensis)
- São Tomé weaver (P. sanctithomae)
- Yellow-legged weaver (P. flavipes)
- Compact weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Red-crowned malimbe (M. coronatus)
- Cassin's malimbe (M. cassini)
- Gola malimbe (M. ballmanni)
- Rachel's malimbe (M. racheliae)
- Red-vented malimbe (M. scutatus)
- Ibadan malimbe (M. ibadanensis)
- Red-bellied malimbe (M. erythrogaster)
- Blue-billed malimbe (M. nitens)
- Crested malimbe (M. malimbicus)
- Red-headed malimbe (M. rubricollis)
- Red-headed weaver (A. rubriceps)
- Bob-tailed weaver (B. anomala)
- Cardinal quelea (Q. cardinalis)
- Red-headed quelea (Q. erythrops)
- Red-billed quelea (Q. quelea)
- Red fody (F. madagascariensis)
- Comoros fody (F. eminentissima)
- Aldabra fody, (F. aldabrana)
- Forest fody (F. omissa)
- Mauritius fody (F. rubra)
- Seychelles fody (F. sechellarum)
- Rodrigues fody (F. flavicans)
- Yellow-crowned bishop (E. afer)
- Fire-fronted bishop (E. diadematus)
- Black bishop (E. gierowii)
- Black-winged red bishop (E. hordeaceus)
- Northern red bishop or orange bishop (E. franciscanus)
- Southern red bishop or red bishop (E. orix)
- Zanzibar red bishop (E. nigroventris)
- Golden-backed bishop (E. aureus)
- Yellow bishop (E. capensis)
- Fan-tailed widowbird (E. axillaris)
- Yellow-mantled widowbird (E. macroura)
- White-winged widowbird (E. albonotatus)
- Red-collared widowbird (E. ardens)
- Marsh widowbird (E. hartlaubi)
- Montane widowbird (E. psammacromius)
- Long-tailed widowbird (E. progne)
- Jackson's widowbird (E. jacksoni)
- Thick-billed weaver (A. albifrons)