The Orange Weavers... in Motion!

Length: 15 cm (6").
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This is the male Orange Weaver (Ploceus aurantius), hanging on the underside of its nest and displaying to the female inside with ritualized body-twisting and wing-flapping! Watch the video clip below...
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This short (40-sec) video (recorded using the "movie mode" on my Nikon P5100) shows the Orange Weavers at their nest, which is supported by reeds over a slow-moving stream. I digiscoped it at Buchanan (Jan 14/09), alongside what I thought at first was just another quiet dirt road on the edge of town! But as you watch, try to disregard the noisy motorcycle that came by! Apparently this species is not seriously threatened by human activity near its breeding area! (I apologize for the low resolution, which was further reduced when I uploaded this video to Blogger.)

Orange Weavers in Liberia... at their Nest!

Length: 15 cm (6").
.The Orange Weaver (Ploceus aurantius) builds its nest low over water, weaving it from the narrow green leaf "ribbons" it has stripped from the branches of nearby oil palms. This male and its mate (which flew in and out of the opening on the underside of the nest) were part of a small colony of these birds that I happened across while out birding the back roads of Buchanan (Jan 14/09). This species is locally common on the edges of lagoons, swamps, and streams in the coastal zone of West Africa, from Sierra Leone eastward, and inland along some major rivers.
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The female Orange Weaver, seen here exiting the nest, is a drab olive-gray above and whitish below, with a pale yellow wash around only its head and face. The male, by contrast, truly lives up to its name! Its jet-black bill and eye-stripe contrast beautifully with its rich yellow-orange head and bright yellow underparts.