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Project Noah Nature School
Ploceus baglafecht reichenowi
This African weaver has pale eyes, a black eye mask and bill, and a bright yellow crown, throat and belly. The nape and upperparts are black in the distinctive reichenowi subspecies pictured here. A distinctive little fellow.
Forest edge, woodlands, towns. Distribution: Kenya and North Tanzania for the reichenowi subspecies. Spotted here in a park in central Nairobi.
This bird builds loosely woven nest in bushes and trees. Formerly classed as a separate species, Reichenow's weaver, a name still sometimes used in Kenya. Other subspecies for this bird are geographically highly variable in their markings. See another spotting in Ethiopia at http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/633...
Spotted on Aug 21, 2011
Submitted on Sep 8, 2011
17 Comments
I promise to do so Hayde! Watch out for some upcoming vulture postings then...
Thanks for such an extensive answer! All advice noted, stored in my brain to be retrieved whenever I see such a beauty, which I think will not happen soon unfortunately. However, it is unfair that the brownish grayish birds are so underestimated. All people want is color and something to razzle-dazzle them ;) Bring on the unostentatious birds Daniele :)
Hi Hayde! So many questions! No particular secrets I guess but a few tips. All the birds you're referring to are relatively common and not particularly shy, so you can get close. The lilac-breasted roller loves to perch in open land so it's easy to get around and get shots with no obstruction. All these shots actually took place on cloudy days, which I think are great conditions to shoot birds as you get no overexposed highlights or harsh shadows, and you can really get the texture of the plumage. All the shots were handheld (but with the lens often resting on a bag and/or using VR); for what it's worth I also stop breathing when I press the shutter release button! I've also brought back pics of not so "colourful" birds; I guess I've put the colourful ones up first as a matter of personal bias ;-)
Recently you've posted some great birds' spottings, amazing colors, shapes, perfect focus and so close! What's your secret Daniele? Or is it just Africa that's so unique? :) Congrats!
Thank you Alice!
Beautiful series!
Thanks Atul! Similar indeed. I have more spottings coming up for the genus Ploceus in Kenya, including nests.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/682...
check this one out not the best of shots but satisfactory
will try for a better pic
Atul, I am going to check this baya weaver!
Ashish, its voice is nice! You checked it up for my previous spotting of this bird (different subspecies): see link above in notes.
Yes its sweet...
http://www.xeno-canto.org/africa/XCspeci...
Hi Daniele what about voice... is it sweet...?
should be roughly the size of a baya weaver(its indian cousin) then i guess or probably slightly bigger
Cute...!!
Thanks Atul! This bird is smaller than an oriole: about 15 cm. I should add this in my description.
is this bird the size of an oriole??
fabulous snap Daniele , great spotting too
guess you have had an amazing time in nairobi