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Taveta Golden Weaver - BirdForum Opus

Photo by volker sthamer
Arusha, Tanzania, September 2017

Alternative name: Taveta Weaver

Ploceus castaneiceps

Identification

Female
Photo © by volker sthamer
Usa/Arusha, Tanzania, 13 September 2019

14 cm (5½ in)
This species shows no seasonal plumage change (unlike many other Ploceus weavers). It is a highly distinctive, dark-brown eyed, golden weaver with olive-yellow wings, tail and back. The head shows a crescent shaped rufous patch and there is a further rufous patch on the breast.

Similar Species

Photo by nkgray
Amboseli, Kenya, October 1975

Although sub-adults can be confused with sub-adults of the Golden Palm Weaver the two species do not overlap at all in their range.

Distribution

Eastern Africa: found in extreme south-eastern Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

Habitat

Riverine scrub and savanna.

Behaviour

Diet

Their main diet consists of a variety of seeds, including grass and maize seeds. They also eat insects, such as ants.

Breeding

They are thought to be Polygynous, nesting colonially and building a spherical or ovoid nest over water. It is constructed from fresh,

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Kenya Birds
  4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Jan 2017)

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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