Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

Bubalornis niger

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Meru National Park

In 3 days >90%

130 Verified sightings at Meru National Park From 2019 to 2026
7,723 In all 22 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

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.

The diet of the red billed buffalo weaver consists primarily of insects... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:48

Botswana · 2023

© Marc Anderson · XC1004808 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Recording1:15

South Africa · 2024

© Drew Davison · XC862368 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:38

Kenya

© isaac kilusu · XC694798 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~70%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~60%
3 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
4 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
5 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
6 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~40%
7 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%
8 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~40%
9 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
10 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
11 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
12 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
13 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
15 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
16 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
17 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
18 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
19 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
20 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
21 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
22 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver in Meru National Park?

Very likely

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver sighting in Meru National Park on a given day, based on 130 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 243 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver in Meru National Park?

April and October

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver in Meru National Park on a given day, against about 40% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Meru National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against almost none in July. May and July–August have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Meru National Park the best place to see a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver?

Yes

Of the 22 parks where we can rate Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver sightings, Meru National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 60%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver live in Meru National Park?

Same family: Ploceidae

The closest relatives of the Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver that you can see in Meru National Park (family Ploceidae, Weavers and Allies) are White-headed Buffalo-Weaver (about 80%), Chestnut Weaver (about 60%) and Golden Palm Weaver (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in Meru National Park (130 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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