Ploceus bannermani
Bannerman's Weaver (Ploceus bannermani) is a striking passerine bird endemic to the montane forests of West Africa, belonging to the family Ploceidae, renowned for its elaborate nest-building. Males are particularly vibrant, sporting a rich golden-yellow plumage across the head, underparts, and rump, contrasting with an olive-green back and wings, often featuring a subtle rufous wash on the mantle. They typically measure around 14-15 cm in length and weigh 18-25 grams, possessing a conical bi...
This species primarily inhabits the canopy and sub-canopy of montane evergreen forests and forest edges, typically at elevations between 800 and 2,900 meters. It often favors areas with clearings, secondary growth, or along rivers within these high-altitude environments.
Its diet consists primarily of insects, especially caterpillars, beetles, and small grasshoppers, supplemented with small seeds, fruits, and nectar. Foraging involves active gleaning from foliage and bark in the forest canopy and sub-canopy.
Bannerman's Weaver is a diurnal and generally gregarious species, often observed singly, in pairs, or in small flocks, sometimes associating with mixed-species foraging parties. They forage actively in the foliage, gleaning insects and larvae from leaves and branches, often hanging acrobatically ...
Bannerman's Weaver is strictly endemic to the Afromontane forest belt of western Cameroon and adjacent southeastern Nigeria in West Africa. Its distribution is highly fragmented, confined to several isolated mountain massifs within this region. Key populations are found in the Bamenda Highlands, ...
Vulnerable
- Bannerman's Weaver is named after David Armitage Bannerman, a prominent British ornithologist, who extensively studied African birds in the early 20th century. - Its intricate, retort-shaped nest, a hallmark of the Ploceidae family, is primarily constructed by the male as part of his courtship ...