The Chestnut and Black Weaver is native to West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Nigeria.
The male is black with chestnut on his back and belly. They were previously classed as a subspecies
of the wholly black Vieillot's Black Weaver but have recently been split as a separate species.
Like other weavers, the female has more sparrow-like cryptic brown plumage, including a brown rather than black head.
Like most other weaver birds, the male constructs a suspended woven-grass nest to attract a female.
Nest-building masterclass . . .
includes frequent inspection and testing . . .
a lot of weaving and knotting . . .
and an entrance on the underside to protect from the elements and from predators. Nests are built
in a colony.