Red-collared Widowbird
Euplectes ardens
♂ Observed at Nairobi National Park, Kenya. Dec. 2014.
From Wikipedia: Similar to other widowbirds, male red-collared widowbirds have both seasonal and sexual dimorphism. Males are larger and heavier than females During non-breeding seasons, the male plumage is brown, while in breeding season, October to April, they have black plumage with a long tail, approximately 22 cm, and crescent–shaped carotenoid based chest patch. There is significant variation in brightness, hue, and chroma of the carotenoid badges. In contrast, females and subadults, like nonbreeding males, are streaky dull brown with a short tail, approximately 4 cm. Nonbreeding males, however, retain their black tails, while females and subadults' tails are dark-brown.
Ploceidae -- Weaver Family
Books Available for Sale on ABE Books:
- Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
- Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe