This red-eyed masked-weaver has a lightly streaked green back and pink-brown legs. The breeding male has a black face mask with a narrow black band on the forehead above the bill. The female and juvenile are dull. The species is an abundant resident throughout open savanna and semi-arid areas, nesting colonially above water or in large trees. Many similar-looking weavers do not overlap in range. The larger and more robust male Village Weaver differs from Southern Masked-Weaver by having a more mottled back; the female Village Weaver has a stouter, more robust bill and a duller red eye.