Weavers
Weaver Photo Gallery
The Weavers Ploceidae, are small passerine birds related to the finches.
These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which breed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia and also in Australia.
The weaver group is divided into the buffalo, sparrow, typical, and widow weavers.
Description
The males of many species are brightly colored, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in color only in the breeding season.
Nesting / Breeding
Weaver birds, also known as weaver finches get their name because of their elaborately woven nests (the most elaborate of any birds), though some are notable for their selective parasitic nesting habits. The nests vary in size, shape, material used and construction techniques from species to species. Materials used for building nests include fine leaf-fibers, grass and twigs.
Many species weave very fine nests using thin strands of leaf fiber, and some like the buffalo-weavers, however, form massive untidy stick nests in their colonies, which may have several spherical woven nests within.
The sparrow weavers of Africa build apartment-house nests, in which 100 to 300 pairs have separate flask-shaped chambers entered by tubes at the bottom. Most species weave nests that have narrow entrances, facing upside down.
The weavers are gregarious birds which often breed colonially. The birds build their nests together, often several to a branch. Usually the male birds weave the nests and use them as a form of display to lure prospective females.
The weaver bird colonies may be found close to water bodies.
They sometimes cause crop damage, notably the Red-billed Quelea, reputed to be the world's most numerous bird.
Species list in taxonomic order
- White-billed Buffalo-weaver, Bubalornis albirostris
- Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, Bubalornis niger
- White-headed Buffalo-weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli
- Speckle-fronted Weaver, Sporopipes frontalis
- Scaly Weaver, Sporopipes squamifrons
- White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Plocepasser mahali
- Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser superciliosus: Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weavers are found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.
- Chestnut-backed Sparrow Weaver, Plocepasser rufoscapulatus
- Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser donaldsoni
- Rufous-tailed Weaver, Histurgops ruficauda
- Grey-headed Social Weaver, Pseudonigrita arnaudi
- Black-capped Social Weaver, Pseudonigrita cabanisi
- Social or Sociable Weaver, Philetairus socius
- Bannerman's Weaver, Ploceus bannermani: The Bannerman's Weaver is found in Cameroon and Nigeria. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Bates' Weaver, Ploceus batesi: The Bates's Weaver is endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Black-chinned Weaver, Ploceus nigrimentum: The Black-chinned Weaver (Ploceus nigrimentus) is found in the Bailundu Highlands of western Angola, on the Batéké Plateau in Republic of the Congo, and in eastern Gabon.
- Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
- Bertrand's Weaver, Ploceus bertrandi: The Bertram's Weaver (Ploceus bertrandi), sometimes called Bertrand's Weaver, is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
- Slender-billed Weaver, Ploceus pelzelni
- Loango Weaver, Ploceus subpersonatus: The Loango Weaver is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is estimated that there are somewhere between 2,500 and 10,000 of the bird in existence, so it is listed as a Vulnerable Species.
- Little Weaver, Ploceus luteolus: The Little Weaver is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.
- Lesser Masked Weaver, Ploceus intermedius
- Spectacled Weaver, Ploceus ocularis: The Spectacled Weaver is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Black-necked Weaver, Ploceus nigricollis
- Black-billed Weaver, Ploceus melanogaster: The Black-billed Weaver is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- Strange Weaver, Ploceus alienus
- Bocage's Weaver, Ploceus temporalis: The Bocage's Weaver is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.
- Cape Weaver, Ploceus capensis
- African Golden Weaver, Ploceus subaureus
- Holub's Golden-weaver, Ploceus xanthops
- Principe Golden-weaver, Ploceus princeps: The Príncipe Golden-weaver is endemic to Sao Tomé and Principe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Orange Weaver, Ploceus aurantius
- Golden Palm Weaver, Ploceus bojeri
- Taveta Golden Weaver, Ploceus castaneiceps
- Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Ploceus xanthopterus
- Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Ploceus castanops
- Kilombero Weaver, Ploceus burnieri
- Rueppell's Weaver, Ploceus galbula
- Heuglin's Masked-weaver, Ploceus heuglini
- Northern Masked-weaver, Ploceus taeniopterus
- African or Southern Maskedweaver, Ploceus velatus
- Tanzania Masked-weaver, Ploceus reichardi
- Village Weaver, Ploceus cucullatus
- Giant Weaver, Ploceus grandis: The Giant Weaver is endemic to Sao Tomé and Principe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Speke's Weaver, Ploceus spekei
- Fox's Weaver, Ploceus spekeoides: The Fox's Weaver is endemic to Uganda. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Vieillot's Black Weaver, Ploceus nigerrimus
- Weyns' Weaver, Ploceus weynsi: The Weyns's Weaver is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Uganda.
- Clarke's Weaver, Ploceus golandi: The Clarke's Weaver is endemic to Kenya. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Black-headed Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus
- Salvadori's Weaver, Ploceus dichrocephalus: The Salvadori's Weaver is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
- Golden-backed Weaver, Ploceus jacksoni
- Cinnamon Weaver, Ploceus badius: The Cinnamon Weaver is endemic to Sudan.
- Chestnut Weaver, Ploceus rubiginosus
- Golden-naped Weaver, Ploceus aureonucha: The Golden-naped Weaver is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Yellow-mantled Weaver, Ploceus tricolor: The Yellow-mantled Weaver is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo and Uganda.
- Maxwell's Black Weaver, Ploceus albinucha: The Maxwell's Black Weaver is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
- Nelicourvi Weaver, Ploceus nelicourvi: The Nelicourvi Weaver is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Sakalava Weaver, Ploceus sakalava: The Sakalava Weaver is endemic to Madagascar where it is found in subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
- Streaked Weaver, Ploceus manyar
- Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus
- Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus
- Yellow Weaver aka Finn's Weaver or Finn's Baya (Ploceus megarhynchus)
- Bengal Weaver or Black-breasted or Black-throated Warbler, Ploceus benghalensis
- Forest Weaver, Ploceus bicolor: The Forest Weaver is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- Preuss' Weaver, Ploceus preussi: The Preuss's Weaver (Ploceus preussi) is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
- Yellow-capped Weaver, Ploceus dorsomaculatus: The Yellow-capped Weaver is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon.
- Usambara Weaver, Ploceus nicolli: The Usambara Weaver is endemic to Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Olive-headed Weaver, Ploceus olivaceiceps: The Olive-headed Weaver is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Brown-capped Weaver, Ploceus insignis: The Brown-capped Weaver is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
- Bar-winged Weaver, Ploceus angolensis: The Bar-winged Weaver is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
- Sao Tome Weaver, Ploceus sanctithomae: The São Tomé Weaver is endemic to Sao Tomé and Principe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.
- Compact Weaver, Pachyphantes superciliosus: The Compact Weaver is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
- Yellow-legged Malimbe, Malimbus flavipes: The Yellow-legged Weaver is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Red-crowned Malimbe, Malimbus coronatus: The Red-crowned Malimbe is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
- Black-throated Malimbe, Malimbus cassini: The Black-throated Malimbe is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Ghana.
- Ballmann's Malimbe, Malimbus ballmanni: The Gola Malimbe is found in Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Rachel's Malimbe, Malimbus racheliae: The Rachel's Malimbe is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria.
- Red-vented Malimbe, Malimbus scutatus: The Red-vented Malimbe is found in Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical swamps.
- Ibadan Malimbe, Malimbus ibadanensis: The Ibadan Malimbe is endemic to Nigeria. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Red-bellied Malimbe, Malimbus erythrogaster: The Red-bellied Malimbe is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda
- Gray's Malimbe, Malimbus nitens: The Gray's Malimbe is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Crested Malimbe, Malimbus malimbicus: The Crested Malimbe (Malimbus malimbicus) is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
- Red-headed Malimbe, Malimbus rubricollis
- Red-headed Weaver, Anaplectes rubriceps
- Bob-tailed Weaver, Brachycope anomala
- Cardinal Quelea, Quelea cardinalis: The Cardinal Quelea is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
- Red-headed Quelea, Quelea erythrops
- Red-billed Quelea, Quelea quelea
- Red Fody or Madagascar Fody, Foudia madagascariensis
- Red-headed Fody, Foudia eminentissima
- Forest Fody, Foudia omissa
- Mauritius Fody, Foudia rubra
- Seychelles Fody, Foudia sechellarum
- Rodrigues Fody, Foudia flavicans
- Yellow-crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer
- Fire-fronted Bishop, Euplectes diadematus: The Fire-fronted Bishop is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.
- Black Bishop, Euplectes gierowii
- Black-winged Red Bishop,Euplectes hordeaceus
- Northern Red Bishop or Orange Bishop, Euplectes franciscanus
- Northern Red Bishop, Euplectes orix
- Zanzibar Bishop, Euplectes nigroventris: The Zanzibar Bishop is found in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
- Golden-backed Bishop, Euplectes aureus: The Golden-backed Bishop is found in Angola and Sao Tomé and Principe.
- Yellow Bishop, Euplectes capensis
- Fan-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes axillaris
- Yellow-shouldered Widowbird, Euplectes macrourus: The Yellow-shouldered Widowbird is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
- White-winged Widowbird, Euplectes albonotatus
- Red-collared Widowbird, Euplectes ardens: The Red-collared Widowbird is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
- Marsh Widowbird, Euplectes hartlaubi: The Marsh Widowbird is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
- Buff-shouldered Widowbird, Euplectes psammocromius: The Buff-shouldered Widowbird is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.
- Long-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes progne
- Jackson's Widowbird, Euplectes jacksoni
- Parasitic Weaver, Anomalospiza imberbis
- Grosbeak Weaver, Amblyospiza albifrons
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