The World Birds: Weavers (Ploceidae)

THE WORLD BIRDS - An Online Bird Book

WEAVERS

Order Passeriformes Family Ploceidae

Weavers 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-weavers, sparrow-weavers and typical weavers. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season. Weaver get their name because of their elaborately woven nests. 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. Most species weave nests that have narrow entrances, facing downward. The weavers are gregarious birds which often breed colonially. Usually the male birds weave the nests and use them as a form of display to lure prospective females.

Also in the weaver family are bishops, malimbes, fody's, widowbirds.

Genus Amblyospiza - 1 species

Weaver, Thick-billed also Grosbeak Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Arno Meintjes 4) Dick Daniels - Johannesburg, South Africa 5) Frans_Vandewalle
1, 2) Female 3, 4, 5) Male

Genus Anaplectes - 1 species

Weaver, Red-headed Anaplectes rubriceps Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park, South Africa 6) Derek_Keats - South Africa
1, 2) Female 3, 4, 5, 6) Male

Genus Brachycope - 1 species

Weaver,_Bob-tailed Brachycope anomala Found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo
Image by: 1, 2) Zlatan Celebic - DR Congo
1) Female 20 Breeding male

Genus Bubalornis Found: Africa

Weaver,_Red-billed_Buffalo- Bubalornis niger Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Darren Bellerby - South Africa 2) Greg_Tee - South Africa 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania

Weaver,_White-billed Buffalo- Bubalornis albirostris Found: Africaequator)

The White-billed Buffalo-Weaver has mainly black plumage with a little white on the wings. Male has white bill, female has black.

Image by: 1) Frans_Vandewalle - Gambia 2) Peter Steward - Kenya 3) JV Verde - Gambia 4) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya

Genus Dinemellia - 1 species

Weaver, White-headed Buffalo- Dinemellia dinemelli Found: Africa

The White-headed Buffalo-Weaver has blackish upperparts; white head, underparts; orange-red run, under-tail.

Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 2) Dick - Jacksonville Zoo, Florida 3) Dick - San Diego Zoo 4) Steve Garvie - Bufalo Springs NP, Kenya.

Genus Histurgops- 1 species

Weaver,_Rufous-tailed Histurgops ruficauda Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Kenny_Murray - Tanzania 2) Profberger - Tanzania 3) Nik_Borrow - Tanzania 4) Dick - Tanzania

Genus Philetairus - 1 species

Weaver, Sociable Philetairus socius Found: southern Africa

The Social Weaver has a scallaped back, flanks; black chin.

Image by: 1) Jerry Oldenettel - Nambia 2) Pim Stouten - South Africa 3) Mary Wu 4) Andy Cowley - Namibia 5) Cristiano Crolle - Solitaire, Namibia 6) Daniele Columbo - South Africa
1) Juvenile

Genus Plocepasser Found: Africa
The Sparrow-weavers.

Weaver,_Chestnut-backed_Sparrow- Plocepasser rufoscapulatus Found: Angola, DR Cong, Malawi, Zambia
Image by: 1) Nigel_Voaden - DR Congo 2) Nik_Borrow - Malawi

Weaver,_Chestnut-crowned_Sparrow- Plocepasser superciliosus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Uganda 2) Lip_kee - Ethiopia 3) Nik_Borrow - Kenya

Weaver,_Donaldson-Smith's_Sparrow-. Plocepasser donaldsoni Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia
Image by: 1) Steve Garvie - Samburu NP, Kenya 2) Peter_Steward - Kenya 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya

Weaver,_White-browed_Sparow- Plocepasser mahali Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Dick - Nairobi National Park 3, 5) Carol Foil - Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Kenya 4) Cristiano Crolle - Sossusvlei, Namibia 6) Hans_Hillewaert - Namibia

Genus Ploceus Found: Africa, also Europe
Typical Weavers

Weaver,_African_Golden also Yellow Weaver Ploceus subaureus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 4) Anders_Peltomaa - South Africa 2) Cessna 206 - Zanzibar 3) Sias van Schalkwyk - South Africa
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male

Weaver, Baglafecht Ploceus baglafecht Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 8) Dick Daniels - Nairobi National Park, Kenya 2, 5) Carol Foil - Kenya 3, 4, 7) Dick - San Diego Zoo 6) Darren Bellerby - Kenya 9, 10) Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya
1) Juvenile 2, 3) Female 5 - 9) Male

Weaver,_Bannerman's Ploceus bannermani Found: Cameroon, Nigeria
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow - Cameroon

Weaver,_Bar-winged Ploceus angolensis Found: Angola, DR Congo, Zambia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Michael_Harvey

Weaver,_Bate's Ploceus batesi Found: Cameroon
Image by: 1) Henrik_Gronvold
1) Male - top; female - bottom.

Weaver,_Bertram's Ploceus bertrandi Found: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Anthony_Roberts - Malawi 3) Peter_Steward - Malawi
1) Pair 2) Male and juvenile 3) Male

Weaver,_Black-billed Ploceus melanogaster Found: Africa

The Black-billed Weaver has mainly black plumage; black bill; yellow head. Male has black throat,

Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya 3) Robert_van_Zalinge - Uganda Dave_Curtis
1, 2, 3) Female

Weaver,_Black-chinned Ploceus nigrimentus Found: Angola, DR Congo, Gabon
Image by: 1) Ron_Hoff - Gabon
1) Male

Weaver,_Black-headed also Yellow-backed Weaver Ploceus melanocephalus Found: Europe, Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Joseph Mochoge - Kenya 3) Darren Bellerby - Kenya 4, 5) Nik_Borrow - Uganda 6) Agustin_Povedano - Spain
Nonbreeding male 5, 6) Male

Weaver, Black-necked Ploceus nigricollis Found: Africa

The male Black-necked Weaver of the northern race has olive upperparts, wings; yellow underparts, head; black eye-mask, bib. Female similar, but not black bib. The southern race found from Nigeria eastwards has a quite different appearance, with almost black upperparts and tail.

Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2) Peter Steward - Kenya Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana 4) Simon Tonge
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male

Weaver, Bocage's Ploceus temporalis Found: Angola, DR Congo, Zambia
Image by: 1, 2) Henrik_Gronvold
1) Female 2) Male

Weaver,_Brown-capped Ploceus insignis Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow - Kenya 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya
1) Female 2) Male

Weaver, Cape Ploceus capensis Found: South Africa

The Cape Weaver has streaked olive-brown upperparts; loing and pointed conical bill. Breeding male has yellow head and underparts; white eyes. Female has olive-yellow head, breast; yellow lower-belly, brown eyes.

Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Oudshoorn, South Africa 3) Arno Meintjes 4) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa 5, 6, 7, 8) Dick- Swaziland 9) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 10) Cristiano Crolle - West Coast National Park, South Africa
1, 2) Female 3 - 9) Male

Weaver,_Chestnut Ploceus rubiginosus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Charles Sharp - Kenya 3) Bries
1) Female 2, 3) Male

Weaver,_Cinnamon Ploceus badius Found: Sudan
Image by: 1) Abubakr_Mohammad - Sudan 2, 3) Tom_Jenner - Sudan
1) Female 2, 3) Male

Weaver, Clarke's Ploceus golandi Found: Kenya
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2) Steve_Garvie

Weaver,_Compact Ploceus superciliosus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Uganda

Weaver,_Forest also Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor Found:
Image by: 1) Steve_Garvie 2, 3) Derek_Keats - South Africa

Weaver, Fox's Ploceus spekeoides Found: Uganda
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya

Weaver,_Giant Ploceus grandis Found: São Tomé and Príncipe
Image by: 1) Bruna_Porter 2) naturgucker

Weaver,_Golden-backed Ploceus jacksoni Found: Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Image by: 1) Nik Borrow - Kenya 2) Frederidc_Salein - Kenya 3) Steve_Garvie - Kenya
1) Non-breeding male 2, 3) Male

Weaver,_Golden-naped Ploceus aureonucha Found: DR Congo
Image by: 1) pixark

Weaver, Golden Palm Ploceus bojeri Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Thierry Marysael 2, 3) Carol Foil- Archers Post, Rift Valley, Kenya

Weaver, Heuglin's Masked Ploceus heuglini Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2) Nigel Voaden
Female on left; male on right.

Weaver, Holub's Golden also Large Golden-weaver Ploceus xanthops Found: Africa
Image by: 1) DIck Daniels - South Africa 2) Lip_kee 3, 4) Sergey_Yeliseev - Kenya

Weaver,_Juba also Salvadori's Weaver Ploceus dichrocephalus Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia
Image by: 1) Jacques_Erard

Weaver,_Katanga_Masked- Ploceus katangae Found: DR Congo, Zambia
Image by: 1, 2) Nigel Voaden - Zambia

Weaver,_Kilombero Ploceus burnieri Found: Tanzania
Image by: 1) Michael_Harvey - Tanzania

Weaver, Lesser Masked Ploceus intermedius Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Plettenburg Bay, South Africa 3, 4) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 5, 6, 7, 8) Dick - luhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
1) Juvenile and female 2) Juvenile 3 - 8) Male

Weaver,_Little Ploceus luteolus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Peter_Steward - Kenya 2) Lip_kee - Ethiopia 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Kemya

Weaver,_Loango Ploceus subpersonatus Found: Angola, Congo, Gabon
Image by: 1) John_Caddick - Gabon 2) Ron_Hoff - Gabon 3) Nick_Borrow - Gabon
1) Female 2, 3) Male

Weaver,_Lufira_Masked- Ploceus ruweti Found: DR Congo
Image by: 1) hbw.com

Weaver,_Maxwell's_Black Ploceus albinucha Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow - Ghana 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana
1) Juvenile

Weaver, Nelicourvi Ploceus nelicourvi Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1) Marcus Lilje 2) Pat and Keith Taylor - Mantadia National Park
1) Female 2) Male

Weaver,_Northern_Brown-throated Ploceus castanops Found: Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Image by: 1, 2) DJ_Cockburn - Malawi
1) Female 2) Male

Weaver,_Northern_Masked- Ploceus taeniopterus Found: DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan.
Image by: 1, 3) Dave Curtis - Kenya 2) Charles_J_Sharp Miichael_And_Helen_Cox - Kenya
1) Female 2) Nonbreeding male 3, 4) Breeding male

Weaver,_Olive-headed Ploceus olivaceiceps Found: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1, 2) Brian_Ralphs

Weaver,_Orange Ploceus aurantius Found: Africa

The breeding male Orange Weaver has mainly orange plumage; black beak. Female and nonbreeding male have mainly brownish upperparts; cream-colored underparts.

Image by: 1) Michael and Helen Cox 2, 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana

Weaver,_Preuss's Ploceus preussi Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Paul_Noakes - Cameroon 2) Graham_Ekins - Ghana

Weaver,_Principe Ploceus princeps Found: São Tomé and Príncipe ( off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa)
Image by: 1) naturgucker 2) Klaus_Ewald

Weaver,_Rueppell's_Masked- Ploceus galbula Found: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
Image by: 1) Henri Quatre - Saudi Arabia 2) Lee-nah 3) Sergey_Yeliseev

Weaver, Sakalava Ploceus sakalava Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - near Isalo, Madagascar 5) David Cook 6) Ross Tsai
1, 2, 3) Female 5 - 8) Male

Weaver,_Sao_Tome Ploceus sanctithomae Found: Sao Tome and Principe (islands off west coast of Africa)
Image by: 1) Muchaxo

Weaver,_Slender-billed Ploceus pelzelni Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Tom Tarrant - Uganda 2, 3) David_Cook - Uganda
1, 2) Female 3) Male

Weaver, Southern Brown-throated Ploceus xanthopterus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Jerry Oldenettel - near Shalsowe, Botswana 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Malawi 4) Ian_White - Botswana
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male

Weaver, Southern Masked- Ploceus velatus Found: southern Africa

The breeding male Southern Masked-Weaver has yellowish-green upperparts; black face, throat, bill; red eye; bright yellow head, underparts. Female has greenish-yellow upperparts; yellowish throat fading to off-white on belly; red-brown eyes..Non-breedinb male resemble female but retains the red eyes.

Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Jonannesburg, South Africa 7) Derek Keats 8) Cristiano Crolle - Swakopmund, Namibia
1 - 4) Female 5 - 8) Male

Weaver,_Spectacled Ploceus ocularis Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2) Gareth_Rasberry - South Africa 3) Alan Manson - South Africa 4) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male

Weaver, Speke's Ploceus spekei Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 7) Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya 2, 6) Dick Daniels - Keekorok Lodge in the Masai Mara, Kenya 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 5) Carol Foil - Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
1) Juvenile male 3 - 7) Male

Weaver,_Strange Ploceus alienus Found: DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda
Image by: 1) P_Khoo 2) Tom_Tarrant - Uganda

Weaver,_Tanzanian_Masked- Ploceus reichardi Found: Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1) Jan_Knoop

Weaver, Taveta-Golden Ploceus castaneiceps Found: Africa (Kenya, Tanzaniz)
IImage by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2, 6, 7, 8) Dick - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle 3) Trisha Shears - Binder Park Zoo 4) Dick - National Aviary 5) Sandy Cole - National Aviary
1) Pair 2) Female 3 - 8) Male

Weaver,_Usambara Ploceus nicolli Found: Tanzania
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow

Weaver,_Vieillot's_Black Ploceus nigerrimus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana 2) Dave_Curtis - Kenya 3) Bernard_Dupont - Cameroon

Weaver, Village also Black-headed Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Found: Africa
Ploceus melanocephalus is also called Black-headed Weaver. To avoid confusion, Ploceus cucullatus should only be called Village Weaver.
Image by: 1) Silvain de Munck - Rotterdam Zoo 2) Alan Fossé 3) LaurentEchiniscus - Reunion Island 4) Charles_J_Sharp 5) Hauke Koch 6, 7) Dick Daniels -Kenya
1) Breeding female 2) Eclipse female 3) Nonbreeding female 4 - 7) Male

Weaver, Vitelline Masked Ploceus vitellinus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 4) Tarique_Sani - Tanzania
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male

Weaver, Weyns's Ploceus weynsi Found: Congo, Tanzania, Uganda
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2, 3) Nik_Borrow - Uganda
1, 2, 3) Male

Weaver,_Yellow-capped Ploceus dorsomaculatus Found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon
Image by: 1) hbw.com

Weaver,_Yellow-legged Ploceus flavipes Found: DR Congo
Image by: 1) Flavio_Guglielmino

Weaver,_Yellow-mantled Ploceus tricolor Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana 2) Julie_Langford - Cameroon 3) Brendan_Ryan - Ghana

Genus Ploceus Found: Asia
Typical Weavers

Weaver,_Asian_Golden- Ploceus hypoxanthus Found: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam

The breeding male Asian Golden Weaver has mainly yellow plumage; black mask.

Image by: 1) Thet_Zaw_Naing - Myanmar 2) David_Cook - Thailand 3) Hiyashi_Haka 4) Francesco_Veronesi - Thailand

Weaver,_Baya Ploceus philippinus Found: Indian subcontinent, China, southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia

The breeding male Baya Weaver has dark brown upperparts streaked yellowish; bright yellow crown, nape, breast; dark brown mask; blackish-brown bill; cream buff belly. Female and non breeding male darl brown streaked fluvous buff upperparts; unstreaked fulvous white underparts; horn colored bill.

Image by: 1) Imran_Shah - Pakistan 2) Vijay_Ismavel 4) Magentic_Manifestations 6) Tarique_Sani 3, 5) Shantanu_Kuveskar - Insia
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male

Weaver,_Black-breasted also Bengal Weaver Ploceus benghalensis Found: Indian subcontinent

The breeding male Black-breasted Weaver has bright yellow crown; black upper-breast; rest underparts whitish. Female and nonbreeding male brown upperparts, crown; yellow supercilium; pale underparts with perhaps faint breast-band.

Image by: 1) Aaron_Maizlish - India 2) JM_Garg - India 3) Viral_Patel - India 4) Imran_Shah- Pakistan
1) Female 3, 4) Male

Weaver,_Finn's also Yellow Weaver Ploceus megarhynchus Found: India, Nepal
Image by: 1) Sumit_Sen 2) Dibyendu_Ash 3) Koshy_Koshy - India
1) Female 2, 3) Breeding male

Weaver,_Streaked Ploceus manyar Found: south Asia
Image by: 1) Sarala_Gamage - Sri Lanka 2) JM_Garg - India 3) Shanaka_Aravinda - Sri Lanka 4) Imran_Shah - Pakistan 5) Pkspks - India
1) Female or juvenile 2) nonbreeding male 5) Breeding male

Genus Pseudonigrita Found: Africa

Weaver, Black-capped Social Pseudonigrita cabanisi Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 2) Dick - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 3, 4) Steve Garvie - Buffalo Springs NP, Kenya.
1) Female 2 - 4) Male

Weaver,_Gray-capped_Social also Gray-headed Social Weaver Pseudonigrita arnaudi Found: Africa

The Gray-capped Social-Weaver has mainly liver-colored plumage; pale gray crown; dark gray bill; whitish eye-ring; some black in the wings. Male cap is almost white; females is more light gray.

Image by: 1) Shyamal 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 4) Steve Garvie - Kenya 5) Dick - Kenya 6) Allan_Hopkins - Tanzania

Genus Sporopipes Found: Africa

Finch, Scaly-feathered also Scaly Weaver Sporopipes squamifrons Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Jerry Oldenettel - Namibia 2) Attis1979 3) Tude_e_Joao - Botswana 4) benoit_nabholz

Weaver, Speckle-fronted Sporopipes frontalis Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - slightly north of Masai Mara, Kenya 4) Dick - Tanzania