About Ploceus xanthops (Hartlaub, 1862)
Males of Ploceus xanthops can be distinguished from females by their entirely yellow heads, bright greenish-yellow bodies, and a patch of orange below the chin that extends into the upper breast. Females have duller overall coloring, with yellow only present on the forehead. Both sexes share several similar traits: they have dull brown upper wings, yellow lower wings, light yellow eyes, black bills, and pink legs. Juvenile birds are dull olive overall, with yellow coloring only on the tail, chin, and throat. Juveniles have dark brown eyes and pale brown bills. This species is found in 17 countries: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It inhabits inland areas near freshwater, across forests, savannas, shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands. It can also be found in bushy areas with tall grass, along forest margins, and beside streams. It occurs along the coast from eastern South Africa to western Angola. Little research has been done on this species, so it is assumed to be sedentary. It lives at elevations between 1,200 and 2,300 meters. It does not migrate seasonally, and the farthest movement ever recorded for an individual was 10 kilometers.
