Mar 30

Bird of the day

Red-billed buffalo weaver

Bubalornis niger

The red-billed buffalo weaver (Bubalornis niger) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa. Its natural habitat is the dry savanna.

The body length of full grown red-billed buffalo weavers is 21 to 25 cm (8.3 to 9.8 in) and body mass averages 82.1 g (2.90 oz) in males and 70.7 g (2.49 oz) in females. This may the largest of the Ploceidae (weaver birds). Visually the sexes are not greatly differentiated from one another.

The red-billed buffalo weaver is differentiated from the white-billed buffalo weaver (Bubalornis albirostris) by the color of its bill.

The feathers of the male are dark chocolate brown in color.

The front wing edges and the wing tips are flecked with white.

His bill is a shade of red.

The eyes are brown and the feet are reddish brown.

The female's body is also colored dark chocolate brown, without the white flecks on the wings.

However, her chin and throat feathers include broad white colored hems.

Her eyes are dark brown and her legs light brown.

Adolescent birds are a lighter shade of brown.

Aliases

Bubalornis niger