Jackson's Widowbird
Euplectes jacksoni
Breeding Male. On the campus of the University of Eldoret, Kenya. Dec. 2015.
The strong conical bill is most suitable for cracking seeds and this western Kenya bird prefers higher altitude marshy habitats with reeds and sedges. Follow the link below for amazing footage of this bird's behavior in mating leks. The male below, photographed at same place and date, is in transition from non-breeding to breeding plumage.
Ploceidae -- Weaver and Bishop Family
Books:
- Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
- Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe