Lesser Masked Weaver

Description:

Another weaver metin Namibia, a bit smaller one, Lesser Masked weaver, presented in pics 1 to 3 is a breeding male. The elements to establish its ID from other weavers from its range are as follows: pale eye; black mask extending to the crown and rounded below, toward the throat; not that massive black bill; grey legs; and yellow-green mantle. The rest of the body is bright yellow. Picture 4 shows a small colony of weaver nests, with the entrance pointing down but I can't be sure whether they were built by this one; nor if they were active at that time. The bird in the pic No 4 was a male of Southern masked weaver, another species, and these two hang around this shrub together at that time. Pics 5 and 6 show probably a female of Lesser masked weaver - which I wrongly IDed, at that time, as another, third species.

Habitat:

Observed in Kunene region, north west of Namibia, in gardens of a camp where we were staying; these gardens leading to an arid acacia tree-and-shrub landscape beyond. The region is still very dry (but still magnificent and rich in wildlife) at the moment, following a three-year dry-spell.