Black-necked Weaver
Ploceus nigricollis
A medium-sized, dark-eyed weaver in which males and females are distinctly different, but both are colorful. Varies geographically: upperparts are black in the east and brownish-black in central Africa. Found in woodland, thick scrub, moist savanna, gallery forest, and forest clearings and edge. Usually alone or in pairs. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chet” notes and a sizzling, “radio static” song. Formerly treated as the same species as Olive-naped Weaver, under the name “Black-necked Weaver.”
Identification
The black-necked weaver is a stocky 16 cm bird with a strong conical bill. The adult male of the northern race has olive upper-parts and wings, and yellow underparts and head. It has a black eye-mask and bib, and a pale yellow iris. The non-breeding male has a yellow head with an olive crown, grey upper-parts and whitish. The wings remain yellow and black.<p>The adult female also has olive upper-parts and wings, and yellow underparts and head. It has a black eyemask but no bib.<p>The southern race found from Nigeria eastwards has a quite different appearance, with almost black upper-parts and tail.<p>The black-necked weaver feeds on insects and vegetable matter. The calls of this bird include a wheezing dew-dew-twee .
Taxonomy
The species was formally described in 1805 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot, who named it Malimbus nigricollis. The description was based on a specimen that had been collected near Malimbe, now Malembo, in the Cabinda Province of Angola. The species epithet nigricollis combines the Latin words Latin words, niger meaning "black" and collis meaning "necked".<p>There are two subspecies recognized:<p>The black-necked weaver was formerly considered to be conspecific with the olive-naped weaver. The two species differ in plumage and in the colour of the iris. A molecular study published in 2019 found that the two species are genetically very similar.
- Scientific name
- Ploceus nigricollis
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1805)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Genus
- Ploceus
Range and habitat
This weaver occurs in forests, especially in wet habitats.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and creepers with a 15 cm downward facing entrance tunnel hanging from the globular egg chamber. The nest is suspended from a branch in a tree and 2-3 eggs are laid. It nests in pairs but forms small flocks when not breeding.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Arabian Grosbeak
Rhynchostruthus percivali
Handsome chunky gray-brown finch with a massive dark bill. Brown hood, white ear-patches, and brightly contrasting golden stripes in the dark wings and tail make this an easily recognizable species. Female has a less well-defined hood than the male, and less yellow in the tail. Juvenile is buffier (including ear-patches) and more streaky. An uncommon resident of woodland, dry scrubby rocky terrain, slopes and river beds, restricted to the southern Arabian Peninsula. Typically forages singly, in pairs, or in groups of up to 30, either on the ground, or in trees where they occasionally dangle by their feet like parrots. Song is a pleasant rolling series of sweet notes, with an almost thrush-like quality. Call a quick whip-like “weet.”
Spotted Crake
Porzana porzana
Medium-sized crake with dense whitish spotting and speckling on the neck and breast. Also note greenish legs and short yellow bill with a reddish base. Breeds in freshwater marshes and wet meadows with dense vegetation cover, but migrants and wintering birds may also be found in ephemeral wetlands and brackish marshes. Retiring and rarely seen, but sometimes comes out at muddy edges, mainly early and late in the day. Song is a series of repeated “huit, huit, huit” notes.
Eastern Cattle-Egret
Ardea coromanda
Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More often seen in dry habitats than other egrets, but also frequent in rice paddies and shallow wetlands. In the breeding season, look for bright orange head and breast, as well as a brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following large animals and field machinery.
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