Gola Malimbe
Malimbus ballmanni
A striking black-and-yellow malimbe; the female lacks the yellow nape of the male. Juvenile has a pale bill and yellow on the crown and chin. A scarce and patchily distributed endemic resident of Upper Guinea, preferring the middle levels and canopy of tall primary and secondary lowland forest. Joins flocks, often with other malimbes, and gleans leaves and thin twigs looking for insects in the manner of a tit. Vocalizations are poorly known but include varied swizzling and chittering notes. Other malimbes in range have red rather than yellow highlights in their black plumage.
Identification
The Gola malimbe is a black forest weaver, the males have an orange-yellow nape, bright golden-yellow crescent on the breast and golden yellow patch on the vent. The female is almost completely black with an indistinct yellowish crescent on the breast. Juveniles are similar to the adults but duller and the yellow on the breast extends to the throat.. Length is 17 cm.<p>The males song includes a series of unmusical, chattering sounds followed by a wheezing phrase and lasts roughly three seconds "cheg chig cheg cheg chega zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz", and is similar to that of the village weaver. The females' song is similar but lacks the wheezing part at the end "cheg cheg chig chag chaaag cheg chiiig".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Malimbus ballmanni
- Authority
- Wolters, 1974
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Genus
- Malimbus
Range and habitat
The Gola malimbe is found in west Africa where there are three known populations, the first in the Gola Forest in Sierra Leone and in western Liberia, the second from eastern Liberia to western Ivory Coast and the third in Diecke Forest Reserve in Guinea.<p>Its natural habitat is lowland primary rainforest, lightly logged forest and old secondary growth.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The Gola malimbe is threatened by habitat loss, especially deforestation. Although it occurs in a number of protected areas these have been subject to illegal logging, especially in the lawlessness caused by civil conflicts within its range. Its conservation status is assessed as endangered.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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