Nelicourvi Weaver
A species of Typical weavers Scientific name : Ploceus nelicourvi Genus : Typical weavers
Nelicourvi Weaver, A species of Typical weavers
Botanical name: Ploceus nelicourvi
Genus: Typical weavers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The nelicourvi weaver is a slender sparrow-like bird of 15 cm (5.9 in) long and weighing 20–28 g (0.71–0.99 oz). During the breeding period, the male has a black beak, (reddish) brown eyes and blackish to brownish grey legs. His head is black, including the cheeks, around the ears, the forehead, crown and nape. The black is surrounded by a broad yellow collar, that includes chin, breast, side and back of the neck. The yellow collar is on the other side bordered by a vaguely defined olive-green band. The lower chest and belly are bluish-grey, the lower flanks grey with a greenish hue. The wing flight feathers are blackish, with those near the wing tips with narrow greenish yellow edges and those more to the base with broad olive-green edges. The alula and primary coverts are blackish, while all other coverts are bright olive green. The underside of the wing consists of light grey feathers with a yellowish tinge. The shoulders, and upper tailbase are also bright olive-green, the under tailbase chestnut-colored, while the tail flight feathers are blackish with wide olive-green. The non-breeding plumage differs in the black of the head which turns olive green, mottled with dark grey, and the presence of a narrow yellow brow. The front of the head of the female in breeding plumage is yellow, gradually changing to olive green at the back of the head, except for the broad yellow rear brow, while the area between the eye and the bill is dark greenish grey, and the area around the ear is green. The head is surrounded by a broad yellow collar that includes the chin. The remainder of the female breeding plumage is identical to the male's. The nelicourvi weaver can be distinguished from the related sakalava weaver, which has streaked plumage. The somewhat related forest fody and Madagascar fody mostly have streaked upperparts and scarlet as the most obvious colour. 
Size
15 cm
Feeding Habits
Nelicourvi Weaver's diet mainly consists of insects, including spiders, beetles, bugs, and grasshoppers; they may also eat small fruits. Nelicourvi Weaver forages alone or in pairs, often joining mixed-species flocks. They feed by hanging beneath twigs and probing into crevices from canopy to lower levels.
Habitat
The nelicourvi Weaver typically inhabits moist mountain and lowland forests, including both primary rainforests and secondary forests within broad geographical regions of tropical areas. Their presence extends to sclerophyllous mountain forests, bushland, and thickets, favoring areas with high biodiversity. While predominantly found in humid forest zones, they are also adapted to live in east littoral forests on sandy soils, often ranging from sea level to elevations of 1950 meters. These birds may at times utilize habitats at forest edges, secondary habitats away from dense forests, and gardens in village vicinities adjacent to forests.
Dite type
Granivorous
General Info
Behavior
Birds roam from the forest floor to the canopy, but particularly favour the middle story. They mostly operate alone, in pairs or groups of three, and can also be found mixing with long-billed bernierias. Larger flocks do not occur. The nelicourvi weaver is an agile, active species that generally makes a lot of noise. It searches for insects on leaves, and branches, while hanging from vines and twigs. It looks for animals in rolled leaves such as wild ginger Aframomum and along leaf litter, probing crevices, and opening dead stems. It also dismembers flowers to reach the nectar. Mostly, arthropods (beetles, bugs, butterflies, caterpillars, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, stick insects, millipedes and spiders) are consumed, sometimes small vertebrates (lizards and chameleons), next to some nectar, fruit and probably seeds.
Distribution Area
The nelicourvi weaver is an endemic species of Madagascar. It occurs along the entire belt of rainforest that stretches from the Tsanatanana mountains in the North to the South-East. It also is present in the litoral forest of the eastern coast, almost but not quite reaching Tôlanaro (Fort-Dauphin of old) in the South-East. It can be found from sea level to mostly around 1,500 m (4,900 ft) altitude, but is also present up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft) high in Marojejy National Park. In the far North, an isolated population exists at the Amber Mountain National Park. It mostly lives in moist mountain and lowland forest, but is also present in sclerophyllous mountain forests, bushland and thickets.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Weavers Genus
Typical weavers Species
Nelicourvi Weaver 
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