Ploceus velatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The southern masked weaver (Ploceus velatus), or African masked weaver, is a resident breeding bird species common throughout southern Africa. This weaver is very widespread and found in a wide range of habitats, including shrubland, savanna, grassland, open woodland, inland wetlands and semi-desert areas. It also occurs in sub-urban gardens and parks.
The southern masked weaver is 11–14.5 cm (4.3–5.7 in) long with a short, strong, conical bill and pinkish brown legs. The adult male in breeding plumage has a black face, throat and beak, red eye, bright yellow head and underparts, and a plain yellowish-green back,
The female has a pinkish-brown bill, brown or red-brown eye and is dull greenish-yellow, streaked darker on the upper back. The throat is yellowish, fading to off-white on the belly. The non-breeding male resembles the female but retains the red eye. The juvenile of this species is like the female.
The call is a harsh swizzling, similar to other weavers. It also utters a sharp chuk alarm note. The southern masked weaver nests in colonies, mainly from September to January. Males have several female... Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monkeyland | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Birds of Eden | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Bloedel Conservatory | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Masked Weaver sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, based on 180 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 108 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Masked Weaver in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, against about 30% in February–March, May, August–September and December, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Masked Weaver sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Southern Masked Weaver sightings, Namib-Naukluft National Park ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa, about 50%) and Golden Gate Highlands National Park (South Africa, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Masked Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in Namib-Naukluft National Park (180 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.
