- Ploceus nelicourvi
Identification
15 cm. A distinctive Weaver.
- Black helmet
- Plain olive-green upperparts and upperwing
- Brownish-green tail
- Black chin
- Yellow throat to chest, extending as yellow band around nape (sometimes washed orange there)
- Narrow olive collar across upper breast
- Grey lower breast, belly, flanks and thighs
- Rufous-chestnut undertail-coverts
Females are similar but black on head is replaced by yellow, except for dark grey lores.
Juveniles have a greenish head with some yellow above the head and on throat and are generally duller than females.
Distribution
Endemic to eastern and northern Madagascar.
Locally common to fairly common.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Probably forms a superspecies with Sakalava Weaver and is sometimes considered conspecific with it.
Habitat
Moist lowland primary and secondary forests. Also at forest edge and in gardens of villages close to forest.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1950m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects and other arthropods like spiders. Takes probably also small fruits.
Moves through trees from canopy to lower levels, hangs below twigs and creepers while probing crevices. Forages usually singly or in pairs, often in mixed-species flocks with [[Long-billed Bernieria]s and other species.
Breeding
Breeding season September to December. A monogamous species. Solitary breeding, nests widely separated. The nest is a bulky structure with an entrance tunnel leading to the oval nest-chamber. It's made of grass and palm fibres and placed 2 to 7 m above the ground, often suspendend over a stream, a path or a clearing. Lays 2 to 4 eggs.
Movements
Probably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2010. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 15: Weavers to New World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553682
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Nelicourvi Weaver. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 30 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Nelicourvi_Weaver
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
