Bubalornis albirostris
The White-billed Buffalo Weaver (Bubalornis albirostris) is a large, stocky member of the weaver family (Ploceidae), known for its striking appearance and highly social nature. Males are entirely glossy black with a robust, conical white bill, bright red eyes, and measure approximately 23-25 cm in length and weigh 65-80g. Females are slightly smaller, duller black or sooty brown, with a less prominent dark bill that may sometimes appear whitish, and dark eyes. Juveniles are sooty brown, strea...
Found in dry to semi-arid savanna, acacia woodlands, thornbush, and open grasslands with scattered trees, often near human habitation or livestock. Typically occurs at low to moderate elevations, generally below 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and termites, often foraged terrestrially. They also consume some seeds, fruits, and are notable for picking ticks off large ungulates.
White-billed Buffalo Weavers are highly gregarious, living in noisy flocks and breeding colonially in massive, multi-chambered stick nests that can house dozens of pairs. These enormous, thorny structures, often built in large acacia or baobab trees, are used for both breeding and communal roosti...
The White-billed Buffalo Weaver is resident across a broad belt of sub-Saharan Africa, stretching from West Africa eastwards. Its distribution encompasses countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Suda...
Least Concern
- Its common name, 'Buffalo Weaver,' comes from its observed habit of perching on large mammals like buffalo and cattle to feed on ectoparasites, particularly ticks. - These birds construct some of the largest and most complex communal nests of any bird species, resembling giant, messy bundles of...