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Seen at Lake Panic hide, KNP (Oct'06)

The Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) completes the black-faced weavers trilogy. It differs from the other two, viz. Southern Masked and Lesser Masked in that, apart from being slighlty larger (14-16 cm), its black facial mask does not extend onto the forehead, which is completely yellow (except in the Northern Zimbabwean race, which has a wholly black head). The breeding male has a molted back, black bill, red eyes and brownish pink legs and feet.

Beautiful shot CR!
My attempt, taken in Lower Sabie.

Here's another Lake Panic village weaver.

Ok, I’m bit confused by the following weavers I photographed this morning in Marloth…. Looks like Village Weavers…but that red???

Larger view

Larger view

This "new sub-specie" does pop up this time of the year when all kinds of well-known feathered friends don their aloe pollen masks.

Some years ago I got very excited about a red-faced strain of bulbuls



This is what makes some aloe species so very special - when there is little else for the animals to feed on, guess what... these aloes are in full bloom!

Ag, I’m sooo dof!! Of cause it is the aloes!!!
I now remember that last winter we saw a Fork-tailed Drongo with the same red face…..we were quite puzzled with this till we saw it catching insects out of aloe flowers. This year we however do not have one aloe that has flowers or leaves around our house. …Kudus ate all (drought)….thus I did not even think about the aloe flowers.
Thanks Johan.

For you, I have a new problem with two birds near a yellow-fronted Canary, a big one and a more smaller. Two weavers but from two different species, I suggest Village Weaver or Cape weaver for the bigger and Masked Weaver for the other one. What do you think about them?
Near Olifants.



Didbird
http://dbuysse.free.fr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Didbird, it always helps to give where you have seen the birds!!

Middle - Village Weaver(Cape is very olive)

A male Village Weaver at Lake Panic in the Kruger National Park.

A female Village Weaver at Lake Panic in the Kruger National Park.

Near Phala Gate. Nov 2011

I took this at Lake Panic at the end of October.


160 by jansp, on Flickr