About Plocepasser mahali A.Smith, 1836
Plocepasser mahali A.Smith, 1836, commonly called the white-browed sparrow-weaver, measures 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) in total length. This species can be identified by a broad white eyebrow stripe and a white rump that is visible when the bird is in flight. Adult males have a black bill, while adult females have a light gray horn-colored bill, and juvenile birds have pinkish-brown bills. Individuals found in Zimbabwe have faint brown spotting across their white breast. The white-browed sparrow-weaver occurs at its highest population densities in north-central southern Africa. It is most densely concentrated in dry woodland or wooded grassland habitats in northern South Africa, and its overall range also extends into Botswana, northern and central Namibia, and western Zimbabwe. The species is commonly sighted in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, and in southern Malawi. Some populations reach as far north as Ethiopia. All populations of this species are sedentary, meaning they do not migrate. White-browed sparrow-weavers nest in colonies along dry, scrubby thornveld and riverbanks.
