Bubalornis niger
The Red-billed Buffalo Weaver (Bubalornis niger) is a robust, medium-sized passerine, typically measuring 23-25 cm in length and weighing between 60-80 grams. Males are striking with their glossy black plumage, a conspicuous white patch at the base of the primaries, and an iconic, bright scarlet conical bill. Females are similar but often duller, browner, and may exhibit a less prominent white wing patch, while juveniles are predominantly dull brown. This species belongs to the Ploceidae fami...
These highly social birds inhabit arid and semi-arid savannas, open acacia woodlands, and thorny scrublands, typically found at elevations up to 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, their diet consists largely of beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other arthropods, supplemented occasionally with seeds and small fruits, all gathered by ground-foraging.
Red-billed Buffalo Weavers are highly gregarious and diurnal, spending their days foraging and interacting within their noisy colonies. They are polygynous, with one male often mating with several females, and their courtship involves the male displaying near a chosen nest chamber, often with acc...
The Red-billed Buffalo Weaver has a wide and stable distribution across eastern and southern Africa, predominantly as a resident species throughout its range. Its breeding range extends from Ethiopia and Somalia south through Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and west into Zambia and Angola, then furt...
Least Concern
- The Red-billed Buffalo Weaver builds one of the largest and most structurally complex communal nests in the bird world, sometimes reaching over 2 meters in diameter and weighing hundreds of kilograms. - These massive nests are often constructed from thorny sticks, providing excellent natural fo...