The lesser masked weaver (Ploceus intermedius) builds its nests in large colonies, often alongside the village weaver and sometimes the red-billed buffalo weaver. This species is special because it is the only one of its congeners where adults have a pale yellow or straw-coloured iris. The lesser masked weaver is common and widespread in Acacia savanna, open woodland, riverine trees, reedbeds, swamps and mangroves extending from Ethiopia all the way to southern Africa.
