Alternative name: Yellow-backed Weaver
- Ploceus melanocephalus
Identification
14 cm (5½ in)
- Black head
- Yellowish-green upperparts
- Yellower rump
- Yellow fringed black primaries
Notice that females do not necessarily have dark eyes.
Distribution
Africa
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo
Eastern Africa: Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Sao Tome
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 4 subspecies[1]:
- P. m. melanocephalus:
- Northern Senegal to southern Mauritania, Niger and Mali
- P. m. capitalis:
- Guinea-Bissau to Niger, southern Chad and Central African Republic
- P. m. duboisi:
- Congo, southern Central African Republic and northern Democratic Republic of the Congo
- P. m. dimidiatus:
- Eritrea, northwestern Ethiopia, southeastern Sudan, southern South Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, northwestern Tanzania, and northeastern Zambia
An addition al subspecies fischeri is not recognised by all authorities.[2]
Habitat
Moist shrubland and swamps, open bush and wooded areas.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of seeds and insects, with insects generally being used to feed the young.
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
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-headed Weaver. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-headed_Weaver
External Links
Search the Gallery using the scientific name:
Search the Gallery Using the common name:
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
