Lesser Masked-Weaver

Lesser Masked-Weaver

Ploceus intermedius

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Namib-Naukluft National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

22 Verified sightings at Namib-Naukluft National Park From 2019 to 2026
6,026 In all 42 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Lesser Masked-Weaver

The lesser masked weaver (Ploceus intermedius) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It builds its nests in large colonies, often alongside the village weaver and sometimes the red-billed buffalo weaver. This species is commonly parasitised by the Diederik cuckoo. It is found in eastern, south-eastern and southern Africa.

Lesser masked weaver - Species text in Weaver Watch. Lesser masked weaver - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:55

Uganda · 2018

© Phil Gregory · XC608248 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:48

Ethiopia · 2019

© Oscar Campbell · XC473963 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:25

Kenya · 2018

© Frank Lambert · XC451575 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
2 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
3 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~30%
4 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
5 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
6 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
7 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
8 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
9 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
10 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
11 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
12 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
13 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
14 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
16 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
17 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
18 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
19 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
20 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
21 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
22 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~10%
23 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%
24 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
25 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~10%
26 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
27 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
28 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
29 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~10%
30 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
31 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
32 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
33 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
34 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
35 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
36 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
37 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
38 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
39 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
40 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
41 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
42 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
2 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
3 Harare 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
4 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
5 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
6 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
7 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Parc des oiseaux 🇫🇷 France In captivity
2 Elephant Sanctuary, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
3 Birds of Eden 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Masked-Weaver in Namib-Naukluft National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 70th most-seen of the 108 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Masked-Weaver in Namib-Naukluft National Park?

August

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Masked-Weaver?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Masked-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 Namib-Naukluft National Park the best place to see a Lesser Masked-Weaver?

31st of 42

Of the 42 parks where we can rate Lesser Masked-Weaver sightings, Namib-Naukluft National Park ranks 31st at under 5%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%), Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 30%) and Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 30%).

Where does the Lesser Masked-Weaver sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lesser Masked-Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in Namib-Naukluft National Park (22 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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