Rachel's malimbe is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria. It is also known under the name Rachel's weaver. Its habitat is restricted to the lowland forests of the area surrounding the Gulf of Guinea. It is named for Rachel Cassin Davis (1844-1922), daughter of ornithologist John Cassin.
Region
Gulf of Guinea and Lower Guinean Forests
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests surrounding the Gulf of Guinea, including southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It favors primary forest but also uses mature secondary forest, forest edges, and riverine gallery forest. Most activity is in the mid-storey to canopy, where it moves through tangles, lianas, and clusters of dead leaves. It tolerates light selective logging but generally avoids highly degraded farmland or open areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Rachel's malimbe is a forest weaver of the Gulf of Guinea lowland rainforests and is sometimes called Rachel's weaver. It is named for Rachel Cassin Davis, daughter of the American ornithologist John Cassin. Like other malimbes, it weaves intricate suspended nests and often forages with mixed-species flocks in the forest mid-storey and canopy.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small groups and frequently joins mixed-species flocks moving through the canopy. It weaves suspended, globular nests from plant fibers, often placed over water or in open gaps, and may nest in loose colonies. Both sexes participate in nest-building and parental care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of thin, metallic tsee notes and chatter, interspersed with trills. Contact calls are soft and frequent while foraging, with sharper scolding notes when alarmed.
Plumage
Glossy black body with a contrasting rich red hood that includes the forehead, crown, and throat; the rest of the body is black. Sexes are similar, with females sometimes slightly duller. Bill is stout and pointed.
Diet
Primarily gleans insects and other arthropods from foliage, lianas, and suspended leaf clusters. It probes into curled or dead leaves for concealed prey and occasionally takes caterpillars and beetles from bark crevices. It also supplements its diet with small fruits and figs, and may take nectar when available.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid-storey to canopy of moist lowland rainforest, especially in areas with abundant lianas and vine tangles. Often forages along forest edges, river corridors, and in mature secondary growth.
