Introduction

The Red-vented Malimbe was collected by Dr Robert MacDowell, a surgeon attached to the colonial government of Sierra Leone. The type locality is given as Western Africa but has been inferred to be Sierra Leonne, where MacDowell was based. MacDowell collected several types of bird species, with type localities listed as either West Africa, or as "St. Paul's River, western Africa", eg the White-crested Hornbill was collected at St. Paul's River. Bates (1937) suggested that the Red-vented Malimbe was also collected at St. Paul's River, which is in Liberia. This suggestion by Bates has been overlooked by other authors.

MacDowell's specimens were obtained by ANSP. Cassin published more on the birds of Africa than on birds from other continents, because of the large collections received from West Africa and other parts of Africa, especially from Du Chaillu and MacDowell (or McDowell) (Stone 1899).

The first illustration of a Red-vented Malimbe is a colour painting published by Cassin 1850. The second illustration was published by George Shelley when he described what he thought was a new malimbe (Malimbus rubropersonatus, but later he realised that it was an immature Red-vented Malimbe - the illustration appears under the Biology section. The third illustration for the species was the first time that the well woven nest was illustrated (Buttikofer 1890).

Scientific citation

Meaning of names

First English name

Alternate names

Collector

Date collected

Locality collected

Type specimens

Identification. The Red-vented Malimbe has a red breast and vent - the red vent with black belly separates it from all other malimbes of any age or sex. The male Red-vented Malimbe also has the crown and nape red. The immature has a pale bill. The species was first described by John Cassin, who also published the first illustration of the adults (right). George Shelley described what he thought was a new malimbe as Malimbus rubropersonatus, but later he realised that it was an immature Red-vented Malimbe (right).

Distribution. The Red-vented Malimbe is a common weaver in West African lowland forests. Two subspecies are recognised (see map left, based on Birds of Africa):

M. s. scutatus from Sierra Leone to Ghana, with 2 sightings from Togo in 1990 (see red on map).
M. s. scutopartitus, from Benin to SW Cameroon (see blue on map). This race is slightly larger, and the red breast band is broader in both sexes, and is split by a black line in the female.

Habitat. The Red-vented Malimbe inhabits mature and secondary forest, small and large forest clearings, forest edges, gallery forest, swamp forest, and well-wooded savanna. It is closely associated with palm trees, living near and nesting in them in both forest and open, cultivated land and around villages. It keeps mainly to the upper strata in forest, foraging higher than any other malimbe. The Red-vented Malimbe is found in pairs or groups of up to 5 adults. It sometimes joins mixed-species foraging flocks of insectivorous birds. Non-breeding birds roost at night in their old nests.

Food. The Red-vented Malimbe feeds on insects, including caterpillars, obtained by gleaning and sometimes by aerial sallies; it also feeds on the husks of oil palm nuts.

Breeding. Red-vented Malimbe nests are often alone but sometimes 3-7 are found together, but only one is occupied. The nest is a neatly woven 'inverted sock' with a globular egg chamber and long entrance tube. The entrance tube is semi-transparent and beautifully woven - it looks delicate but is remarkably robust. The tube length may be up to 64 cm long, but is usually shorter. An adult arriving in flight dives upward into the entrance with closed wings, and grasps it inside with its feet and then clambers up to the chamber.

The nest is built by both sexes, and is typically suspended from the centres of 2 adjacent palm leaflets, or the tips of the leaflets. Nests are often placed in palm trees. One nest took 21 days to complete.

The eggs are pure white - only a few weavers consistently lay white eggs. Nothing else is known about incubation and care of the young.