Speckle-fronted weaver, Sporopipes frontalis (protonym, Loxia frontalis), also known as the Scaly-fronted Weaver, photographed at Oldupai Gorge, the Great Rift Valley, Northern Tanzania (Africa). Oldupai is where the Leakeys spent a lot of time. There is a nice museum is located at the site. The rest of the world misspells the name "Olduvai".
Image: Dan Logen, 22 January 2010 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D300, 600 mm x 1.4, ISO 500, f/5.6, 1/125 sec
Question: This African mystery bird has one congener but it is so distinctively marked that it cannot be confused with any other species. Can you identify this bird?
Response: This is a speckle-fronted weaver, Sporopipes frontalis. This bird is a member of Ploceidae, or weaver family. This bird is very distinctive with its black and white speckled forehead: there are no similar species with which it can be confused.
This ground feeding bird is generally found in small groups. The sexes look alike and they breed either in small colonies or sometimes as an isolated pair.
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