Ploceus aurantius
The Orange Weaver, *Ploceus aurantius*, is a stunning passerine bird belonging to the highly diverse weaver family (Ploceidae), known for its intricate nest-building skills. The male in breeding plumage is undeniably its most striking feature, sporting brilliant, almost iridescent orange-red body plumage contrasted sharply with a velvety black face mask, black flight feathers, and a black tail. Females and non-breeding males are more subdued, appearing largely streaky brown above with a yello...
Primarily found in marshy areas, reedbeds, tall grasslands, savannas, and cultivated lands, often close to water sources. Typically inhabits low elevations, rarely above 1,500 meters.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on grass seeds, but supplements its diet with insects, especially during the breeding season. Occasionally consumes nectar and small fruits.
Orange Weavers are diurnal, often foraging actively from dawn to dusk and roosting communally in dense vegetation at night. They employ a gleaning foraging strategy, picking seeds from grass heads and insects from foliage or the ground. During the breeding season, males become highly territorial,...
The Orange Weaver boasts a wide, discontinuous distribution across much of equatorial and West Africa. Its primary range extends from Senegal and Gambia eastward through Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Further east, it occurs in Cameroon, Equatorial ...
Least Concern
- Male Orange Weavers are master architects, weaving elaborate, roughly spherical nests with an entrance tunnel, solely to attract a mate. - A single male can construct multiple nests within a breeding season, showcasing his building prowess to several potential partners. - The male's brilliant o...