Ploceus intermedius
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parc des oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Elephant Sanctuary, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Birds of Eden | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 174th 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.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and June–October, the lowest months. That is one of South Luangwa National Park's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against almost none in September.
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.
32nd of 42
Of the 42 parks where we can rate Lesser Masked-Weaver sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 32nd 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%).
Same genus: Ploceus
The closest relatives of the Lesser Masked-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 Lesser Masked-Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in South Luangwa National Park (28 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.
