- Ploceus nigricollis
Identification
15–17 cm (6-6¾ in)
Male (nominate race)
- Blackish upperparts and wings
- Yellow underparts
- Head golden with chestnut wash
- Black eyemask and bib
- Pale yellow iris
- Strong conical bill
Female (nominate race)
- Blackish crown, upperparts and wings
- Yellow underparts and eyebrow
- Black eye-stripe but no bib
Both males and females of subspecies brachypterus (from western Cameroon west to the Gambia) have olive-green backs.
Similar Species
Subspecies P. n. brachypterus (see Taxonomy below) should be separated with care from the Spectacled Weaver where both occur (eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon). The Black-necked Weaver shows more olive and less yellow on the head (especially the crown area in females) and a thicker bill.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa:
Western Africa: Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po)
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- P. n. brachypterus: (Olive-naped Weaver)
- P. n. nigricollis:
- Eastern Cameroon south to northern Angola and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, east to extreme southern South Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya, and northwestern Tanzania
- P. n. melanoxanthus:
Race P. n. brachypterus sometimes called "Spectacled Weaver" but that name is now usually restricted to Ploceus ocularis. HBW Alive splits P. n. brachypterus into a separate species called Olive-naped Weaver[3]
Habitat
Open areas with trees, including forest edges and savanna woodland.
Behaviour
Breeding
It builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and creepers with a 15cm downward facing entrance tunnel hanging from the globular egg chamber, suspended from a branch in a tree. Two to three eggs are laid.
Diet
The diet includes insects and vegetable matter.
Vocalisation
Call: wheezing dew-dew-twee.
References
- 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/
- Avibase
- del Hoyo, J. & Collar, N. (2019). Olive-naped Weaver (Ploceus brachypterus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/1344105 on 20 March 2019).
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-necked Weaver. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-necked_Weaver
