Ploceus xanthops
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Holub's golden weaver (Ploceus xanthops), also known as the African golden weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. The common name commemorates the Czech naturalist Emil Holub. It is found from Gabon to Uganda and Kenya, south to northern Namibia, northern Botswana and eastern South Africa. They have a yellow on their heads and light yellow eyes. They live for four years. Their usual call sounds like "chichi-chichi-chi-squirr ski-wee" but there is some variation from regions so some contact calls are a short "chirp.
Males differentiate from the females because of their full yellow heads, bright greenish-yellow body and the bit of orange under their chins that continues to the upper breast. The coloring on the females are duller and they only have the yellow coloring on the forehead. The males and the females share several similar characteristics, dull brown wings on the upper portion and then the lower portion having a yellow coloring. As they have light yellow eyes, black bills and pink legs. When the birds are younger they are a dull olive color with only the tail, chin and throat having the yellow coloring. Their eyes are dark brown and their bill... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 8 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 9 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 11 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 13 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 14 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 15 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 16 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 17 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 18 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 19 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 20 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 21 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 22 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 23 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 24 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turtle Back Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Holub's Golden-Weaver sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 179th most-seen of the 257 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.
April, July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Holub's Golden-Weaver in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August–September and November–March, the lowest months. Those are among South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 310 mm in January.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Holub's Golden-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.
13th of 24
Of the 24 parks where we can rate Holub's Golden-Weaver sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 13th at under 5%. The best odds are in Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 20%), Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 20%) and Akagera National Park (Rwanda, about 20%).
Same genus: Ploceus
The closest relatives of the Holub's Golden-Weaver that you can see in South Luangwa National Park (genus Ploceus, Typical Weavers) are Southern Masked Weaver (about 10%), Spectacled Weaver (about 10%) and Village Weaver (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Holub's Golden-Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in South Luangwa National Park (26 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.
