Northern Masked Weaver adults, figure from Reichenbach (1863)
Northern Masked Weaver, head of male figure from Heuglin (1871)
Northern Masked Weaver distribution, type locality circled
Introduction
The Northern Masked Weaver was formally described by Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach, a German botanist and ornithologist. Reichenbach was a prolific author and wrote a book describing many weavers known at his time. He described many new subspecies of weaver, but the only full species of weaver was the Northern Masked Weaver. Reichenbach wrote in German but provided the first English names for many species (although most of his English names are no longer in use).
The Northern Masked Weaver had been collected by Gustav Boleslawski von der Trenck, a military officer. he travelled in NE Africa from 1857-1861. Major von Boleslavski sent the relatively few birds that he had collected to Pelzeln at the Museum in Vienna. He collected the Northern Masked Weaver at Gondokorro, a trading-station on the east bank of the White Nile in Southern Sudan.
The first illustration of the Northern Masked Weaver was of a male and female, published by Reichenbach (1863). The next illustration pertaining to Northern Masked Weaver was of the head of a male by Heuglin (1871).
Weaver Watch
