Lesser Masked-Weaver

Lesser Masked-Weaver

Ploceus intermedius

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at uMkhuze Game Reserve

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

176 Verified sightings at uMkhuze Game Reserve From 2019 to 2026
6,026 In all 42 parks
November 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 uMkhuze Game Reserve?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver sighting in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, based on 176 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 283 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Masked-Weaver in uMkhuze Game Reserve?

October and November

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Masked-Weaver in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in June and 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 uMkhuze Game Reserve the best place to see a Lesser Masked-Weaver?

Yes

Of the 42 parks where we can rate Lesser Masked-Weaver sightings, uMkhuze Game Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 30%) and Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Lesser Masked-Weaver live in uMkhuze Game Reserve?

Same genus: Ploceus

The closest relatives of the Lesser Masked-Weaver that you can see in uMkhuze Game Reserve (genus Ploceus, Typical Weavers) are Spectacled Weaver (about 40%), Village Weaver (about 40%) and Dark-backed Weaver (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

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 uMkhuze Game Reserve (176 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.

← Back to uMkhuze Game Reserve