Ploceus nigerrimus
The Vieillot's Black Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus) is a striking passerine belonging to the highly diverse weaver family (Ploceidae). This medium-sized bird, measuring about 15-16 cm (6 inches) in length and weighing 30-40g, exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism. Adult males are entirely glossy black, including their strong, conical bill, and boast conspicuous bright red irises that make for a dramatic field mark against their dark plumage. Females, in contrast, are duller, with dark olive-brow...
Primarily found in evergreen and secondary forest clearings, forest edges, gallery forests, plantations, and cultivation areas, typically at low to mid-elevations.
The diet consists mainly of insects, such as caterpillars, beetles, and ants, supplemented with seeds, especially those of grasses, and occasionally small fruits or nectar. They primarily forage by gleaning from foliage and bark or by picking food from the ground.
Vieillot's Black Weavers are highly social and diurnal birds, often seen foraging in noisy flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixing with other weaver species. Their foraging strategy primarily involves gleaning insects from foliage and bark in the canopy and understory, though they al...
The Vieillot's Black Weaver is widely distributed across a broad band of West and Central Africa, primarily resident throughout its range. Its breeding range extends from Sierra Leone and Guinea eastward through Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gab...
Least Concern
- Male Vieillot's Black Weavers are so dedicated to attracting a mate that they will build multiple nests, sometimes up to six, to entice females. - The intricate, retort-shaped nests are a marvel of avian architecture, meticulously woven from thin strips of grass and leaves, often taking only a ...