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Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Southern Masked Weaver
Swartkeelgeelvink · Ploceus velatus
A widespread weaver, the breeding male bright yellow with a black face mask that stops on the forehead and a distinctive red eye. He weaves spherical grass nests and displays by hanging beneath them, fluttering and calling. Females and non-breeding males are plain greyish-yellow. Adaptable and common, it readily nests around camps, gardens and dam edges.
Log your Southern Masked Weaver sighting — free →How to identify it
Breeding male has a black face mask stopping at the forehead and a red eye, unlike the pale-eyed Lesser Masked Weaver.
Listen for its call
Sizzling swizzle of buzzy notes as the male shows off his nest.
Where to see it in Kruger
Resident in woodland, scrub and camps park-wide, building round nests in trees and reeds, often near people.
Did you know
A male may build a brand-new nest every few days, weaving it from strips of grass he tears with his beak.
Often confused with
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