White-headed Buffalo Weaver

Dinemellia dinemelli

Let's start out today by breaking down the common name of today's animal, since that will tell us quite a bit about them!

White-headed : Self explainitory. They have white feathers on their heads and on their chests, orange coloration on the underside, and dark wings. They also have strong black beaks that are used for cracking seeds.

Buffalo : They live in very close proximity to African Water Buffalo, and feed on seeds knocked away by the Buffalo, as well as on the insects that the large mammals stir up.

Weaver : These birds are members of a large family of Weaver Birds. They build large, elaborate nests by weaving together twigs, branches, thorns, and grasses. Their abandoned nests are often used by other bird species who don't desire to build their own.

White-headed Buffalo Weavers can be found throughout the open grass and scrub-lands of eastern Africa. They are a gregarious species, and their small flocks forage together on the ground for the aforementioned meals. The birds are also known for their wide range of songs and calls, which range from parrot-like sqwaks, to trills, to loud chuckles.

The species has a large range is is very common, so they are not currently under any conservation risk.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : East Africa
Size : Body length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Ploceidae -- Genus : Dinemellia -- Species : D. dinemelli