Ploceus xanthops
The Holub's Golden Weaver (Ploceus xanthops) is a striking passerine bird, named after the Czech explorer Emil Holub, renowned for its vibrant plumage and intricate nest-building. Males are predominantly bright golden-yellow with an olive-yellow back and a slightly darker, often orange-tinged, face and crown, sometimes extending to the throat. They measure approximately 15-17 cm in length and weigh 35-50 g, making them one of the larger species within the weaver family (Ploceidae). Key identi...
This adaptable weaver primarily inhabits open woodlands, savannas, grasslands with scattered trees, and riverine thickets, often found near water. It thrives at low to mid-elevations, frequently venturing into cultivated areas and gardens.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of insects and their larvae, supplemented with grass seeds, grain, and occasionally nectar or soft fruits. They forage by gleaning from vegetation and probing the ground.
Holub's Golden Weavers are diurnal birds, often observed singly, in pairs, or small family groups, a departure from the large colonies typical of many other weaver species. They actively forage both in foliage and on the ground, gleaning insects and seeds. Males are renowned for their elaborate n...
The Holub's Golden Weaver boasts a wide distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, stretching from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west, eastward through Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, and southward into Zimbabwe, Botswana, and eastern South Africa. Its range extends no...
Least Concern
- Named after Emil Holub, a Czech physician, cartographer, and ethnographer who explored central and southern Africa in the late 19th century. - The male is a master architect, weaving complex, often kidney-shaped nests from grass and leaf strips, sometimes building several incomplete nests to at...