Vitelline Masked Weaver

Ploceus velatus

Other Names

Ploceus vitellinus =P. velatus vitellinus   African Masked Weaver   Tisserin à tête rousse   Dotterweber     Stor maskvävare   Maskerwever   Tessitore mascherato africano

World: Africa: Widespread S of 15°N absent from the Congo basin and the equatorial forest belt.

Kenya: Common in drier regions below 1400m. Mostly absent from the coast and Somali border region and also from the higher rainfall areas of the West.

This small dry-country masked weaver is less gregarious than others. It is normally found in pairs although it nests in small colonies in trees. Its nest (pictured above) is a distinctive onion shape, neatly woven from green grasses, without the characteristic entrance tube of other species. It can be distinguished from the similar Northern Masked Weaver from the shape of the black facial mask. In the Vitelline Masked Weaver this is cleaner with a sharper division between colours. The mask shows a clear cut off at the chin and doesn't extend above the eye. In the Northern Masked Weaver the mask extends down into the upper breast and above the eye.