Introduction

The Lesser Masked Weaver was collected by Major Sir William Cornwallis Harris, an English military engineer, artist and hunter.

Harris led a British diplomatic mission (1841 to 1843) from Bombay to Sahle Selassie, Negus of Shewa, at the time an autonomous district of Ethiopia, with whom they negotiated a commercial treaty. Harris collected birds and other scientific data during the trip. Harris wrote about these travels in 3 volumes (The highlands of Aethiopia) in which he makes occasional reference to birds, but does not appear to have written about the Lesser Masked Weaver which he collected. The type specimen was taken to the East India Company Museum and later [between 1858 and 1971] transferred to the British Museum.

Rüppell illustrated many of the birds he described, but did not illustrate the Lesser Masked Weaver. The first illustration of a Lesser Masked Weaver is a colour painting of its head in Heuglin 1871. Interestingly, the species was not illustrated again for many decades and the second illustration pertaining to this species is a photo of a nest in Hoesch 1936.

Scientific citation

Meaning of names

First English name

Alternate names

Collector

Date collected

Locality collected

Type specimens

Identification. The Lesser Masked Weaver adult male in breeding plumage (far right) is yellow with a black mask, pale eye and thin bill. Females (right) and non-breeding males are dull coloured, with a pale eye and blue-grey legs. Read about eye colours in weavers, including the Lesser Masked Weaver, here (821 kB). Juveniles have a dark eye.

Distribution. The Lesser Masked Weaver is a widespread weaver in eastern Africa and the northern parts of southern Africa (see map below, based on Birds of Africa).

Many subspecies have been recorded but currently there are two accepted subspecies:
(1) P. i. intermedius, found East Africa (green on map); the male has an orangy tinge on the yellow around the mask;
(2) P. i. cabanisii, found in southern Africa (red on map); the male is bright yellow with a black mask.

There is a slight range expansion of this species in KwaZulu-Natal (see news item).
There is a PHOWN record of this species from Ibo Island, northern Mozambique, far out of its published range (see phown 1859).

Habitat. The Lesser Masked Weaver occurs in a variety of habitats including acacia savanna, bushveld, open woodland and riverine trees, preferring areas close to water and also human habitation.

Food. The Lesser Masked Weaver feeds on insects, especially caterpillars, termites, and grasshoppers. It also feeds on nectar (mainly of aloes), mulberries, and small seeds. Nestlings are fed on insects.

Breeding. The Lesser Masked Weaver is polygynous and a male can have 2-3 females simultaneously, and probably several more during a breeding season. Nests are usually very close together, and sometimes are suspended below other nests. Colonies may be monospecific or mixed with a variety of other weaver species. Nests have a short, narrow entrance tunnel. Nests look untidy due to short lengths of material sticking out from the nest.

Nests are built by the male, and lined by the female, although sometimes no lining is added to breeding nests. Nests are placed in trees, reeds, roof edges of buildings, or from telephone wires.

Eggs (usually 2-4) are white or pale bluish white. Incubation is by the female but both parents help feed the young, although the female does more feeding. This is one of the smallest host species to the Diederik Cuckoo.

Nest predators include snakes, especially boomslang Dispholidus typus, African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus, and Vervet Monkeys Cercopithecus aethiops.

Range changes in SA

The points below match the points on the map above.

Areas with very large increases include:
1. Greater Durban area, and inland, in KwaZulu-Natal.
2. Northwest of Gauteng.
3. Western edge of its range in Northwest Province; the souther grid is Barberspan where it has been regularly ringed over the last few years.

Large decreases appear to have occurred:
4. central Zululand, this decrease may be due to the drought in the region over the last few years.
5. Kruger National Park.

Range changes elsewhere