Dinemellia dinemelli
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The white-headed buffalo weaver or white-faced buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli) is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to East Africa. The buffalo part of its name derives from its habit of following the African buffalo, feeding on disturbed insects. Two subspecies are recognized.
The white-headed buffalo weaver was first described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1845. Two subspecies of the white-headed buffalo weaver are now recognized. The white-headed buffalo weaver is 170 to 190 mm (6.7–7.5 in) in length and 57 to 85 g (2.0–3.0 oz) in weight. In addition to its white head and underparts, the white-headed buffalo weaver has a vividly orange-red rump and undertail coverts. Its thighs are dark brown. Narrow white bands can be found on the wings especially when stretch his wings sideways. Both sexes are similar in plumage and hard to differentiate.
The white-headed buffalo weaver is native to the African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 5 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 10 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 12 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Parc des oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Woodland Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Oregon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Virginia Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Honolulu Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | Zoo Atlanta | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 25 | Lincoln Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | Roger Williams Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 27 | Zoologischer Garten Halle | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 28 | Reid Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 30 | Tracy Aviary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 31 | Ōmiya Park Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 32 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 33 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 34 | The Zoo In Forest Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Buffalo-Weaver sighting in Meru National Park on a given day, based on 171 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd 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.
April and September
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Buffalo-Weaver in Meru National Park on a given day, against about 70% in November and December, the lowest months. Those are among Meru National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against almost none in July. May and July–August have too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-headed Buffalo-Weaver sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 14 parks where we can rate White-headed Buffalo-Weaver sightings, Meru National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 80%) and Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Ploceidae
The closest relatives of the White-headed Buffalo-Weaver that you can see in Meru National Park (family Ploceidae, Weavers and Allies) are Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver (about 70%), Chestnut Weaver (about 60%) and Golden Palm Weaver (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-headed Buffalo-Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in Meru National Park (171 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.
