78 Weaver Birds (With Pictures)

Order Passeriformes Family Ploceidae

Weavers are captivating seed-eating birds with distinctive rounded conical bills. They are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, but some species also thrive in tropical Asia and Australia. This diverse group of birds includes buffalo-weavers, sparrow-weavers, and typical weavers. Males of many species display striking colors, often red, yellow, and black. Some species exhibit color variations, specifically during the breeding season, adding to their allure.

The name “weaver” stems from their remarkable skill in crafting elaborately woven nests. These nests come in various sizes, shapes, and construction methods, utilizing fine leaf fibers, grass, and twigs. Their nests typically feature narrow, downward-facing entrances, showcasing the weavers’ distinctive building techniques. Amazingly, if you go to a colony of a specific species of weaver anywhere in the world, every nest is identical.

Known for their social nature, weavers often breed colonially, with male birds crafting nests as an elaborate display to attract potential mates.

1. Genus Amblyospiza

There is only one species in his genus.

1.1. Thick-billed Weaver or Grosbeak Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

Description: Male Thick-billed Weavers have dark brown plumage and very heavy bills. During the breeding season, they display white wing patches and white patches on their foreheads. Their upper wings and tails are blackish-brown, and they have white bases of primaries forming patches, which are visible on the folded wing and conspicuous in flight. Females are different, with yellow bills and white underparts with heavy stripes running up to their chests.

• Length – Average 7.08 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – 1.23-2.01 ounces (35-57 g)

Nests: Thick-billed Weaver nests are globe-shaped and tightly threaded, woven from thin reed strips and suspended between upright reed stems. Their entrances are uniquely positioned near the top and to the sides. Initially, the entrances were made with larger entrances, but once the females had selected the nests, these entrances were narrower.

Habitat: Thick-billed Weavers are found in various habitats, such as grassy areas near wetlands, marshes, rivers, suburban areas, and artificial wetlands. They prefer reedy wetlands for breeding and forest edges during non-breeding seasons.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Thick-billed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Thick-billed Weavers have a discontinuous distribution in East, West, and Southern Africa but are largely absent from the Congo Basin and the arid southwestern regions.

2. Genus Anaplectes

There is only one species in his genus.

2.1. Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps)

Description: Red-headed Weavers are easily seen with their bright red to scarlet heads and reddish bills. Their lower chests to rumps are white, while their upper parts to lower napes are grey-brown with black lores. Their upper wing coverts and flight feathers are yellow. Females differ from males by having brown to yellow heads.

• Length – Average 4.70 inches (12 cm)
• Weight – 0.53-0.92 ounces (5-26 g)

Nests: Red-headed Weaver nests are sturdy and shaped like a retort. They are made from twigs, reeds, and grasses and have a vertical spout approximately 7 inches long.

Habitat: Red-headed Weavers frequent savanna biomes as well as bushlands and other wooded areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Red-headed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Red-headed Weavers can be found from southeastern Ethiopia to northwestern Somalia and south to southern Africa.

3. Genus Brachycope

There is only one species in his genus.

3.1. Bob-tailed Weaver (Brachycope anomala)

Description: Bob-tailed Weavers are small with black masks surrounded by yellow on their heads and breasts. Their upper parts are black and white streaked. Their tails are short and stubby, giving their name. Females, as well as nonbreeding males, are brownish with buffish underparts.

• Length – Average 4.70 inches (12 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-1.06 ounces (20-30 g)

Nests: Bob-tailed Weaver nests are spherical, woven with grass strips, and have side entrances. They are typically positioned in small trees and date palm trees.

Habitat: Bob-tailed Weavers are found in grassy clearings near large rivers in rainforests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Bob-tailed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Bob-tailed Weavers.

4. Genus Bubalornis

These birds are named because of their habit of following herds of buffalo.

4.1. Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver (Bubalornis niger)

Description: Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers have mainly black plumage with red bills and orange legs. They have small white wing panels and patches at the sides of their breasts.

• Length – 8.3-9.8 inches (21-25 cm)
• Weight – Average 2.90 ounces (82.1 g)

Nests: Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers are colonial nesters. They build bulky masses of interlaced twigs to create “lodges,” each with 1-6 nest chamber entrances with short tunnel entrances. These birds continually add materials to build new lodges, so the mass of twigs increases with time.

Habitat: Red-billed Buffalo Weavers inhabit dry open woodlands with sparse ground cover and large trees that can hold their huge nests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers can be found in eastern and southern Africa.

4.2. White-billed Buffalo-Weaver (Bubalornis albirostris)

Description: White-billed Buffalo-Weavers have mainly black plumage with white spots on their backs and wings. The broad conical bills are white in males during breeding seasons, and females’ bills are black.

• Length – Average 9.06 inches (23 cm)
• Weight – Average 2.47 ounces (70 g)

Nests: White-billed Buffalo-Weavers are colonial nesters. They build bulky masses of interlaced twigs to create “lodges,” each with 1-6 nest chamber entrances with short tunnel entrances. These birds continually add materials to build new lodges, so the mass of twigs increases with time.

Habitat: White-billed Buffalo-Weavers are found in open, dry savanna and woodlands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed White-billed Buffalo-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: White-billed Buffalo-Weavers are found in most of Africa north of the equator and south of the Sahara.

5. Genus Dinemellia

There is only one species in this genus.

5.1. White-headed Buffalo-Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)

Description: White-headed Buffalo-Weavers have white heads, napes, necks, breasts, and bellies. They have black bare skin surrounding their eyes, at the base of their bills, and black upperparts. They have striking orange rumps and vents. They have conspicuous, narrow white bands on their wings while in flight.

• Length – Average 7.09 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – 2.01-3.0 ounces (57-85 g)

Nests: White-headed Buffalo-Weavers build massive nests, often over a meter in diameter, using thorny twigs and branches. These nests have several chambers and can reach heights of up to 10 meters above the ground. Male weavers are primarily responsible for constructing the main structure and often steal sticks from neighboring nests.

Habitat: White-headed Buffalo-Weavers are found in dry savannas, acacia thickets, and open farmlands with large trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed White-headed Buffalo-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: White-headed Buffalo Weavers are found in East Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

6. Genus Histurgops

There is only one species in this genus.

6.1. Rufous-tailed Weaver (Histurgops ruficauda)

Description: Rufous-tailed Weavers have scaly brown plumage with rufous tails and wing panels bearing dark rufous streaks. They also have whitish shoulders, bellies, thighs, and pale eyes. Both males and females have similar characteristics. Their upper mandibles are blackish, while their lower mandibles are brown with a pale base. Additionally, their legs are slate-grey.

• Length – Average 8.27 inches (21 cm)
• Weight – 2.12-2.47 ounces (60-70 g)

Nests: Rufous-tailed Weaver nests are cylindric balls of grass with two entrances, one of which will be closed as soon as females lay eggs.

Habitat: Rufous-tailed Weavers are found in thornveld and grasslands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Rufous-tailed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Rufous-tailed Weavers are endemic to Tanzania.

7. Genus Philetairus

There is only one species in this genus.

7.1. Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius)

Description: Sociable Weavers have light plumage, distinctive black chins, brown crowns, scalloped backs, and barred flanks. They have blue-gray bills, and the sexes are alike.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.92-1.13 ounces (26-32 g)

Nests: Sociable Weavers construct the most remarkable bird-built structures worldwide. They nest communally and can create over 90 separate grass chambers; all interconnected in one massive structure weighing up to one ton.

Habitat: Sociable Weavers are found in arid savanna and dry woodlands with scattered trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Sociable Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Sociable Weavers occur across northwestern South Africa and southwest Botswana and extend across Namibia.

8. Genus Plocepasser

These are known as Sparrow-Weavers.

8.1. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser rufoscapulatus)

Description: Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers have rich chestnut-brown upperparts, gray rumps, and gray-brown tails. Their upper wings are dark brown with white upper wing coverts, while their underparts are a buffy gray. They have black foreheads with a broad white crown stripe surrounded by black, as well as white supercilium with black lores and cheeks and black malar stripes. Their legs are pinkish, and their bills are pale.

• Length – Average 7.09 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – 1.38-1.73 ounces (39-49 g)

Nests: Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver nests are tubes of dry grass with two entrances, one of which is closed off when the birds are breeding.

Habitat: Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers are found in Miombo broadleaf woodland.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers occur in southern Africa from Angola and the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zambia and Malawi.

8.2. Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser superciliosus)

Description: Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weavers have distinctive patterning. They have chestnut brown crowns, napes, and foreheads with pale chestnut lores and cheeks and a white supercilium. Their upperparts are dull brown with white tips on greater and lesser wing coverts. Their underparts are pale buffy with white under-tail coverts. Their chins and throats are white, with a malar stripe that broadens into a hook shape. Their bills and legs are brown.

• Length – Average 7.09 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – 1.06-1.59 ounces (30-45 g)

Nests: Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weavers are cooperative breeders, building their nests using horizontal tubes made of dry grass. Several of these birds can be found inhabiting a single tree.

Habitat: Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weavers are found in dry woodlands and bushy areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weavers are found in Africa south of the Sahara, from Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia, and western Kenya.

8.3. Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser donaldsoni)

Description: Donald-Smith’s Sparrow-Weavers have dark brown crowns and foreheads with pale scaly edges and pale cheeks with a dark malar stripe that extends to their shoulders. Their upperparts and napes are brown with white rumps. Their lower parts are whitish, with brown spots on their upper breasts. Their flanks are light brown, and their belly, thighs, and undertail coverts are white. Their bills are dark gray, and their legs are grayish.

• Length – Average 6.69 inches (17 cm)
• Weight – 1.23-1.59 ounces (35-45 g)

Nests: Donald-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver nests are tube-like shapes made of grass reeds and stems.

Habitat: Donald-Smith’s Sparrow-Weavers inhabit open woodland, dry thorny savanna, and scrubland. This would also include barren lava country.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Donald-Smith’s Sparrow-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Donald-Smith’s Sparrow-Weavers occur in Africa from southern Ethiopia to central Kenya and south Somalia.

8.4. White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)

Description: White-browed Sparrow-Weavers have dark brown crowns, foreheads, malar stripes, brown cheeks, and ear coverings. They also have broad, conspicuous white eyebrows. The males have dark bills and brown upper bodies with darker brown wings and white edges. Their underparts and rumps are white, while their tails are dark brown, and their legs are brown.

• Length – 6.69-7.48 inches (17-19 cm)
• Weight – 1.09-2.08 ounces (31-59 g)

Nests: White-browed Sparrow-Weavers make their nests in colonies and build untidy, retort-shaped dry grass nests, often using materials from old nests. Their nests have two entrances, one of which is closed after the eggs are laid.

Habitat: White-browed Sparrow-Weavers inhabit semi-arid Acacia and open mopane savannah woodlands. They are also found in suburban gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed White-browed Sparrow-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: White-browed Sparrow-Weavers are found mostly in north-central Africa, from Ethiopia south to southern Angola, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and western Zimbabwe.

9. Genus Ploceus (found in Africa, also Europe)

This genus is known as typical weavers.

9.1. African Golden Weaver also Yellow Weaver (Ploceus subaureus)

Description: Male African Golden-Weavers have bright yellow plumage with red eyes. Their bills are horn-brown with brownish legs. Their non-breeding colors are duller. Females are dull yellow with brown eyes and bills.

• Length – Average 5.9 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 1.06-1.38 ounces (30-39 g)

Nests: African Golden-Weavers create tightly woven, compact, oval-to-round nests without a tunnel, hanging downward and often attached to a single or double reed stem for support.

Habitat: African Golden-Weavers inhabit flood plains, low-lying river valleys, coastal plains, and estuaries.

Conservation: IUCN has listed African Golden-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: African Golden-Weavers are found in eastern and south-eastern Africa.

9.2. Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht)

Description: The male Baglafecht Weavers have yellow foreheads, crowns, necks, and underparts. Their eyes are yellow, and their bills are black. The areas around their eyes, including lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts, are black. Their upperparts and mantles are olive green (sometimes darker towards black), and their wings are brown with yellow streaks on the feathers. The females look similar to the males, but their foreheads and crowns are greenish. They also have dull black masks around their eyes with a green wash.

• Length – Average 5.9 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.85-1.31 ounces (24-37 g)

Nests: Baglafecht Weavers weave oval nests, lacking a spout, slightly flattened below, with an entrance to one side, coarsely woven by males from green grass stems or broad strips from grass stems.

Habitat: The Baglafecht Weaver inhabits forest edges, trees, shrubs, woodlands, marshes, and montane heathlands. They are also found in gardens and towns.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Baglafecht Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Baglafecht Weavers are found in central, eastern, and south-eastern Africa.

9.3. Bannerman’s Weaver (Ploceus bannermani)

Description: Bannerman’s Weavers have mostly bright yellow plumage with black fascial masks extending just above their yellow eyes onto their throats. Their upperparts, napes, and tails are olive green.

• Length – 4.73-5.51 inches (12-14 cm)
• Weight – 1.03-1.16 ounces (29-33 g)

Nests: Bannerman’s Weaver nests are shaped like retorts. Their entrances are below without spouts, and the outer wall is tightly woven with grass stems and blades.

Habitat: Bannerman’s Weavers inhabit subtropical or tropical moist montane forest edges, including open dense scrublands. They are also seen on farmlands with natural trees and shrubs.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Bannerman’s Weavers as Vulnerable (VU) due to habitat clearance for subsistence agriculture. Forest fires are probably responsible for the greatest proportion of habitat loss.

Distribution: Bannerman’s Weavers occur in western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria.

9.4. Bar-winged Weaver (Ploceus angolensis)

Description: Male Bar-winged Weavers have blackish-brown foreheads, crowns, and napes that extend onto their wings. The tips of their wings are white, and their backs have yellow-tipped feathers along the midline, with yellow rumps. Their underparts are white with a yellowish wash. The females have whiter underparts. They have black bills and brown legs.

• Length – Average 5.1 inches (13 cm)

Nests: Bar-winged Weavers collaborate to construct distinctive round nests using Usnea lichen, grass stems, and leaf midribs. The nests feature a deceptive entrance leading to an empty chamber and a dangling entrance tube on one side.

Habitat: Bar-winged Weavers inhabit mature evergreen dry forests and Miombo woodland, where you can spot abundant “old man’s beard” Usnea lichen.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Bar-winged Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Bar-winged Weavers are found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

9.5. Bates’s Weaver (Ploceus batesi)

Description: Bates’s Weavers have chestnut brown heads with small black necks, olive green mantles, and upper parts. The underparts and vents are yellow. The females differ by having black hoods that reach below their eyes, and their throats are yellow.

• Length – 5.12-5.51 inches (13-14 cm)

Habitat: Bates’s Weavers inhabit tropical, moist lowland forests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Bate’s Weavers as Endangered (EN) due to ongoing habitat degradation caused by deforestation, agricultural expansion, and selective logging.

Distribution: Bates’s Weavers are endemic to southern and western Cameroon.

9.6. Bertram’s Weaver (Ploceus bertrandi)

Description: Bertram’s Weavers have pale eyes, olive backs, and yellow underparts. The males have golden yellow on their foreheads to their upper napes, black face masks, a yellow-orange top of the head, and sickle-shaped central black spots on the back of their heads. The females have all-black heads and narrow yellow bands on their napes.

• Length – Average 5.90 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 1.23-1.52 ounces (35-43 g)

Nests: Bertram’s Weaver nests are spherical structures of woven broad grass strips, typically at the ends of thorny acacia branches.

Habitat: Bertram’s Weavers inhabit open Miombo woodlands and forest edges along rivers. They can also be found on farmlands and cultivated areas in hilly country.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Bertram’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Bertram’s Weavers occur in southwestern and eastern Tanzania, northeastern Zambia and Malawi, and northwestern Mozambique.

9.7. Black-billed Weaver (Ploceus melanogaster)

Description: Black-billed Weavers have mainly black plumage with bright yellow heads, necks, and black lores that form a “spectacle” extending past their eyes. The males have black chins, throats, and a long, slender black bill and mask. The females resemble the males in plumage, except that the hind crowns are black and the ear coverts to the chin and throat are orange-brown.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-0.99 ounces (20-28 g)

Nests: Black-billed Weavers build nest shapes from tough grass stems without tunnels. They suspend the nests from branch edges or creeper tendrils and inhabit undergrowth.

Habitat: Black-billed Weavers inhabit montane forest undergrowth and dense secondary bush.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Black-billed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-billed Weavers occur from extreme eastern West Africa through parts of Central Africa to East Africa.

9.8. Black-chinned Weaver (Ploceus nigrimentus)

Description: Black-chinned Weavers display yellow-orange crowns, napes, necks, and foreheads, along with a black mask that covers their lores, ear covers, cheeks, chins, and throats. They have creamy white eyes, yellow underparts, lower backs, and rumps with an olive-green tail. Their upper backs and mantles are black, with black bills and brown legs. Females resemble the males, but their foreheads, crowns, and napes are black.

• Length – Average 6.69 inches (17 cm)

Nests: Black-chinned Weavers make tightly woven nests with entrances near the top.

Habitat: Black-chinned Weavers inhabit open, bushy savannas with isolated patches of trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Black-chinned Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-chinned Weavers can be found in western Angola, southwestern Republic of Congo, and southeastern Gabon.

9.9. Black-headed Weaver also Yellow-backed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus)

Description: Black-headed Weavers have black bills, heads, and necks with yellow nuchal collars that extend down their upper chests. Their underparts are pale yellow, sometimes with hints of chestnut. Their upper bodies are greenish-yellow with yellow rumps, and their primaries have yellow edges. They have brown legs. Females resemble non-breeding males, as both lack blackheads.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-0.88 ounces (20-25 g)

Nests: Black-headed Weavers construct globe-shaped nests with entrances located underneath. The nests are woven tightly with grass and sticks and suspended from trees.

Habitat: Black-headed Weavers inhabit savannas, as well as marshy areas with tall grass.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Black-headed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-headed Weavers are found in central, western, and northwestern Africa.

9.10. Black-necked Weaver (Ploceus nigricollis)

Description: Black-necked Weavers have dark brown-olive upperparts and wings, with yellow underparts and deep golden yellow heads. They have black eye masks, bibs and napes, dark, strong conical bills, pale yellow eyes, and brown legs. Females are similar but do not have black bibs and have a yellow supercilium. The southern race found from Nigeria eastwards has a quite different appearance, with almost black upperparts and tail.

• Length – Average 6.30 inches (16 cm)

Nests: Black-necked Weavers construct large, coarsely woven nests using grass and creepers. Long entrance tunnels lead into the heart of the nest, reaching lengths of up to 5.9 inches (15 cm).

Habitat: Black-necked Weavers occur in wooded forests, coastal thickets, especially in wet habitats, and well-wooded gardens. They also happen in cocoa, eucalypt, and coffee plantations.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Black-necked Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-necked Weavers are found over most of tropical central Africa.

9.11. Bocage’s Weaver (Ploceus temporalis)

Description: Bocage’s Weavers have mostly yellow plumage with olive-green upperparts and napes. They have brownish masks with dusky olive chins and throats. Their bills are black, irises are pale yellow, and legs are brown. Females resemble the non-breeding males, but their irises are brown.

• Length – Average 5.90 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 1.2-0-1.31 ounces (34-37 g)

Nests: The Bocage’s Weavers are colonial nesters. They often create over 30 nests at one site, usually hanging from branches overhanging a river. These ovoid-shaped nests are loosely woven and have an entrance below and short entrance tunnels. They are made using grass stems and palm leaves.

Habitat: Bocage’s Weavers often inhabit riparian zones.

Conservation. IUCN has listed Bocage’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Bocage’s Weavers are in central and northeastern Angola, the southern Democratic Republic of Congo, and northwestern Zambia.

9.12. Brown-capped Weaver (Ploceus insignis)

Description: Brown-capped Weavers have mostly yellow plumage. They have brown crowns, foreheads, napes, black masks, chins, and throats. Their upper wings and tails are black. Their irises are red, their bills are black, and their legs are brown. Female birds have black coloration from the head to the chin and throat.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.92-1.06 ounces (26-30 g)

Nests: Brown-capped Weaver nests are retort-shaped with long spouts woven from creeper tendrils. They are hung from the underside of branches or at the tips of branches.

Habitat: Brown-capped Weavers are found in tall montane forests and bamboo, gallery, and secondary forests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Brown-capped Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Brown-capped Weavers are distributed across various countries in central Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Angola.

9.13. Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis)

Description: Cape Weavers have predominantly yellow plumage, black eye masks, and streaked olive-brown upperparts. Their upper wings and tails are olive-brown, with feathers edged in greenish-yellow. Their foreheads, chins, and necks are orange-brown. The males’ eyes are white. Females are olive, with yellow throats and bellies, and have brown eyes.

• Length – Average 7.09 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – 1.55-1.83 ounces (44-52 g)

Nests: Cape Weaver nests are bulky, kidney-shaped, neat structures with an entrance below and no tunnel, woven by broad strips of grasses and reed blades. If no females choose them, they will be broken down and built again.

Habitat: Cape Weavers inhabit open grasslands, lowland fynbos, coastal thickets, and agricultural landscapes with trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Cape Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Cape Weavers are endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini.

9.14. Chestnut Weaver (Ploceus rubiginosus)

Description: Chestnut Weavers have mainly chestnut brown plumage with black heads. Their upper wings and tail are dark brown, with paler edges on wing-coverts. Their bills are black, and their legs are pinkish to grey. Females and non-breeding males have almost no color, just earthy dull tones.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.99-1.31 ounces (28-37 g)

Nests: Chestnut Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures with a short spout, usually suspended by the tip of branches, typically one below the next. They may look ragged from the outside but are tightly woven on the inside.

Habitat: Chestnut Weavers inhabit dry thornveld.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Chestnut Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Chestnut Weavers can be found in eastern and southwestern Africa.

9.15. Cinnamon Weaver (Ploceus badius)

Description: Cinnamon Weavers are mostly chestnut brown with black heads. The black extends down their necks to their upper breasts. Their bellies and thighs are yellow. Their wings have yellow edges, and vents are plain buffish. Females resemble non-breeding males, who are drab with whitish underparts and buff wash on their breasts and flanks.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.67-0.99 ounces (19-28 g)

Nests: Cinnamon Weaver nests are intricately woven with grass and strips of sorghum leaves, featuring an entrance on one side near the top.

Habitat: Cinnamon Weavers inhabit dense foliage with tall trees and tall grasslands with tall trees near rivers.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Cinnamon Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

9.16. Clarke’s Weaver (Ploceus golandi)

Description: The Clarke’s Weavers have black upperparts, heads, and breasts. Their wing feathers have broad yellow edges, and their rumps are olive green. Their bellies are yellow with some white lower down, and their thighs and bills are black with brown legs. Females have olive-green foreheads, crowns, napes, mantles, and backs; their supercilium is yellow.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.81-0.95 ounces (23-27 g)

Nests: Clarke’s Weaver nests are coarsely woven with side entrances. They are placed on top of tall sedges standing in water.

Habitat: Clarke’s Weavers inhabit coastal forests in lush Miombo woodlands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Clarke’s Weavers as Endangered (EN) because of drought and because their woodland habitats are being cleared for cultivation.

Distribution: Clarke’s Weavers are endemic to southeastern Kenya.

9.17. Compact Weaver (Ploceus superciliosus)

Description: Compact Weavers have chunky bodies with heavy bills and short tails. The male’s forehead is orange-chestnut with yellow crowns. The hind crowns are blackish, the nape brown with narrow yellow feather fringes, and the mantle and back are brown. Females have black crowns. Both sexes have black masks at eye level, which spread down their necks to their breasts. Their upper wings and tails are dark brown with pale margins on the wing coverts.

• Length – Average 4.72 inches (12 cm)
• Weight – 0.67-0.88 ounces (19-25 g)

Nests: Compact Weaver nests are tightly woven from fine strips of grass blades. They have side entrances (0.5 inches tall) and are attached to vertical grass stems approximately 70 inches from the ground. Nests are very similar to the Thick-billed Weavers.

Habitat: Compact Weavers inhabit tall grass and grassy savannas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Compact Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Compact Weavers are found in widely disjointed populations across West Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, western Kenya, and south to northern Angola.

9.18. Forest Weaver, also Dark-backed Weaver (Ploceus bicolor)

Description. Forest Weavers have dark upperparts and heads with yellow underparts. Both sexes look alike, and they have blue-grey bills and pinkish legs.

• Length – 4.41-5.90 inches (14-15 cm)
• Weight – 0.99-1.66 ounces (28-47 g)

Nests: Forest Weaver nests are roughly made, retort-shaped structures with about 1-foot-long short tunnels. Both male and female weavers build these nests using grass, vine tendrils, and creepers. The nests are typically suspended from the end of branches or creepers, up to 50 feet above the ground, but usually around 16 feet.

Habitat: Forest Weavers are found in forested areas and thick woodland, including miombo. They are also found in gallery forests in open areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Forest Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Forest Weavers are found in various African countries including Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

9.19. Fox’s Weaver (Ploceus spekeoides)

Description: Fox’s Weavers have mostly yellow plumage. The males have black masks from the top of the eye level around to the lower neck. Their eyes are orange-red, and they have black bills. Their upperparts are black with narrow yellow fringes on the outer feathers. Females are much duller in appearance, brownish olive overall.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)

Nests: Not much is known about this rare bird’s nests, but they have been described as roughly woven oval structures without an entrance tunnel.

Habitat: Fox’s Weavers inhabit bushed and wooded grassland in moist savannas and swampy areas, particularly where papyrus grows. They are also found in flooded lowland grasslands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Fox’s Weavers as Near Threatened (NT) because of habitat loss due to drainage and cattle grazing in its small range.

Distribution: Fox’s Weavers are endemic to Uganda.

9.20. Giant Weaver (Ploceus grandis)

Description: Giant Weavers are large birds with bulky black bills and heads with yellow irises. They have chestnut collars extending down to their breasts, and the other lower parts, including vents and lower tails, are yellow. Their upperparts are a dull olive-yellow, and their wing coverts have yellow tips. Females have that typical plain color, with buff bands on their breasts.

• Length – Average 8.66 inches (22 cm)
• Weight – 2.19-2.29 ounces (62-65 g)

Nests: Giant Weaver nests are large, untidy ball structures without tunnels made with strips from palm leaves. They are hung from branches.

Habitat: Giant Weavers are found in natural forests, forest edges, and cocoa, coffee, and oil palm plantations.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Giant Weavers as Near Threatened (NT) because of habitat loss due to drainage and cattle grazing in its small range.

Distribution: Giant weavers are endemic to São Tomé Island.

9.21. Golden-backed Weaver (Ploceus jacksoni)

Description: Golden-backed Weavers have black bills and heads, red eyes, and chestnut underparts that change to yellow at the vents. Their backs and tails are yellow, and their dark wings have bright yellow edges. Females look similar to non-breeding males; they are duller than the males, with greenish upper parts, pale lower parts, and dark brown eyes.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.78-1.16 ounces (22-33 g)

Nests: Golden-backed Weaver nests are compact oval structures with entrances below. They are made from strips of grass and palm leaves and are usually suspended over water in Papyrus or reeds.

Habitat: Golden-backed Weavers are mainly seen in wetland areas, reeds, and papyrus. They are also seen along rivers, woodlands, and acacia bushlands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Golden-backed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Golden-backed Weavers occur in Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan.

9.22. Golden-naped Weaver (Ploceus aureonucha)

Description: Golden-naped Weavers have black foreheads, crowns, chins, and throats, with yellowish-orange hind crowns. They also have golden-yellow collars on their napes. Their upperparts are black, while their underparts are white below the breasts, vents, and thighs, with broad chestnut-brown bands across their chests. Their bills are black, and their legs are brown. In comparison, females have brown foreheads and crowns, mostly charcoal, with a thin yellow collar on their lower napes.

• Length – Average 4.72 inches (12 cm)

Habitat: Golden-naped Weavers are found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and forest edges with tall trees over secondary forests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Golden-naped Weavers as Endangered (EN) because of ongoing forest loss and habitat degradation due to expanding agricultural areas.

Distribution: Golden-naped Weavers occur in DR Congo.

9.23. Golden Palm Weaver (Ploceus bojeri)

Description: Male Golden Palm Weavers have bright yellow plumage with orange heads, black bills, and pinkish legs. Their upper wings are olive-green with yellow outer margins. Females are similar to males but have greenish foreheads, napes, crowns, and napes with yellow supercilium.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.60-1.02 ounces (17-29 g)

Nests: Male Golden Palm Weavers build their nests using long palm leaves and short grass strips. The nests are round with openings on the bottom and are suspended low over water from branches or hung on the undersides of palm fronds.

Habitat: Golden Palm Weavers inhabit palm savanna and riverine vegetation on the coast.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Golden Palm Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Golden Palm Weavers occur in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

9.24. Heuglin’s Masked Weaver (Ploceus heuglini)

Description: Male Heuglin’s Weavers have yellow foreheads and crowns, with black masks that extend to a point just below their chins. Their eyes are pale yellow. Their upperparts are olive-green, with wings slightly darker and broad yellow margins. Their underparts and thighs are yellow, with pinkish legs. Females have mostly olive-green upperparts and pale yellow underparts, which get paler closer to their vents.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.74-1.00 ounces (21-28.5 g)

Nests: Heuglin’s Weaver nests are kidney-shaped with long entrance tunnels, built with strips of grass that are usually suspended by two points. They can be colonial nesters, often nesting near ant and wasp nests, with at least 15 nests attached to one tree. Their nests are also seen on telephone poles.

Habitat: Heuglin’s Weavers inhabit open savannas, semi-arid areas, coastal thickets, and secondary scrublands. They are also found near farms and villages.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Heuglin’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Heuglin’s Weavers occur in southern Senegal and Gambia, across West Africa to western Kenya.

9.25. Holub’s Golden Weaver or Large Golden Weaver (Ploceus xanthops)

Description: The male Holub’s Weaver birds have golden yellow heads, greenish-yellow upperparts and tails, and dull brown wings with pale yellow margins. Their underparts are also golden yellow. They have black bills, pale yellow eyes, and pinkish legs. The females look similar to the males, but their underparts are lighter. Their heads have yellow foreheads.

• Length – 6.69-7.09 inches (17-18 cm)
• Weight – 1.41-1.76 ounces (40-50 g)

Nests: Holub’s Weaver nests are untidy, bulky, kidney-shaped structures built from coarse, broad-bladed grass without entrance tunnels. These nests are usually suspended by the roof from a tall bush or reeds, often over water.

Habitat: Holub’s Weavers inhabit bushy areas with tall grass near forested areas, streams, and rivers.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Holub’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Holub’s Weavers are found in Africa from Gabon to Kenya and southward to Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.

9.26. Juba Weaver or Salvadori’s Weaver (Ploceus dichrocephalus)

Description: The Juba Weavers have blackish-brown heads with lighter brown napes and breasts. Their upper parts are yellow-green, and their lower chests to under-tails are yellow. They have black bills, brown eyes, and brownish-pink legs. Females are much duller, with olive-brown upperparts and pale lower parts with a buffy wash.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.71 ounces (18-20 g)

Nests: Juba Weavers build oval structures from grass without entrance tunnels. These nests hang from branch tips or reed sides.

Habitat: Juba Weavers inhabit riverine bushes, grass savannas, acacia thornbush, and semi-desert areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Juba Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Juba Weavers are found in the Horn of Africa, which includes Ethiopia, Somalia, and extreme northeastern Kenya.

9.27. Katanga Masked-Weaver (Ploceus katangae)

Description: Katanga Weavers are mostly bright yellow with a black mask that extends down their necks like a bib. They have reddish eyes and black bills. Their tail and wings are olive green, with wing coverts edged yellow. Females are mostly dull olive-yellow with narrow yellow supercilium and pinkish bills.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.74 ounces (18-21 g)

Nests: Katanga Weaver nests are kidney-shaped structures with entrances located below and no tunnels.

Habitat: Katanga Weavers inhabit swampy areas and riverine vegetation with reedbeds and papyrus.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Katanga Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Katanga Weavers are found in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Zambia.

9.28. Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri)

Description: Kilombero Weavers have mostly yellow plumage. They have a black and chestnut mask that extends under their bills, resembling bibs, and deep brown eyes. Their upper bodies are olive green from their mantles, and they have darker wings with narrow yellow margins. Females are similar to non-breeding males, with dull olive green upper bodies and heads with lighter supercilium. Their lower bodies are pale, with more buff on their breasts.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.60-0.74 ounces (17-21 g)

Nests: Kilombero Weaver nests are tightly woven grass oval structures with openings at the bottom. Their side attaches them to reeds at their points.

Habitat: Kilombero Weavers are found in reedbeds alongside rivers and swamps.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Kilombero Weavers as Vulnerable (VU) because of habitat loss from extensive dry-season cultivation in the center of the floodplains and dry-season burning to clear fields to promote new grass growth for cattle.

Distribution: Kilombero Weavers are endemic to south-central Tanzania.

9.29. Lesser-masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius)

Description: The Lesser-masked Weavers are mostly yellow with black masks that extend from the middle of their crowns down to their necks. They have pale eyes and thin black bills. Their upperparts are greenish-yellow with yellow margins on their wings. The females are less distinctive, with pale eyes and white bellies.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.60-0.95 ounces (17-27 g)

Nests: Lesser-masked Weaver nests are tightly woven kidney-shaped grass structures with downward-pointing tunnel openings. They are typically positioned at the end of branches, either on the insides or outsides of trees, often over water.

Habitat: Lesser-masked Weavers are found in dry areas, such as acacia savannas, close to rivers, and in gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Lesser-masked Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Lesser-masked Weavers occur in eastern, south-eastern and southern Africa.

9.30. Little Weaver (Ploceus luteolus)

Description: Little Weavers are small birds with mostly yellow plumage. They have black masks that extend to their breasts, resembling bibs. Their eyes are brown, and their small bills are black. Their upperparts are olive-green with darker wings. The remiges have pale yellow edges, and the wing coverts have broader margins. Females and non-breeding males are duller than breeding males, with streaked backs, pale faces, and underparts.

• Length – Average 4.72 inches (12 cm)
• Weight – 0.39-0.53 ounces (11-15 g)

Nests: Little Weaver nests are spherical structures with vertical tunnels made from grass blades, palm fronds, or vine tendrils. They are typically suspended from thorny branches about 10 feet above ground.

Habitat: Little Weavers are found in savanna woodlands with tall acacia trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Little Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Little Weavers occur in western, central, and eastern Africa.

9.31. Loango Weaver (Ploceus subpersonatus)

Description: The Loango Weavers have dull olive upperparts and yellow-orange underparts, with slender dark bills. Male weavers have black hoods that taper to a “V” on the throat, surrounded by an orange wash and dark brown eyes. Females lack black hoods and have yellow foreheads and olive crowns.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)

Nests: Loango Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures with short vertical entrance tunnels built with grass and dry leaves. They are usually hung over water.

Habitat: Loango Weavers are found in subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savannas, mangroves, and swamps near the coast.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Loango Weavers as Vulnerable (VU) due to the continued loss and degradation of coastal bushes converted into allotments and threats from oil spills from offshore rigs.

Distribution: Loango Weavers occur in Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon.

9.32. Lufira Masked-Weaver (Ploceus ruweti)

Description: Lufira Masked-Weavers have black head masks and red eyes. Their mantles are yellow, upper parts are olive with yellow margins on their wings, and rumps are pale yellow. Their underparts are chestnut which change to yellow on their lower bellies. Their bills are black, and their legs are grey-brown. Females are dull green above with wing bars and yellowish below.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – Average 0.60 ounces (17 g)

Nests: Lufira Masked-Weaver nests are oval structures with entrances located below, often with little to no spout, woven with strips of materials, and suspended from ambatch branches, mostly above water.

Habitat: The Lufira Masked-Weavers inhabit swampy areas and riverside vegetation, particularly ambatch and acacia trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Lufira Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Lufira Masked-Weavers are endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

9.33. Maxwell’s Black Weaver (Ploceus albinucha)

Description: Maxwell’s Black Weavers have black plumage with glossy upperparts and pale napes in both sexes. Their eyes are white to greenish-white, their bills are black, and their legs are brown.

• Length – 5.12-5.90 inches (13-15 cm)
• Weight – 0.88-1.06 ounces (25-30 g)

Nests: Maxwell’s Black Weaver nests are rough-looking, ball-shaped structures with entrances at the bottom and little to no tunnel. They are woven with strips of banana leaves or creepers and suspended high in trees.

Habitat: Maxwell’s Black Weavers inhabit high forested areas and are frequently spotted near villages surrounded by secondary forests, often near rivers and creeks.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Maxwell’s Black Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Maxwell’s Black Weavers occur from West Africa to Central Africa.

9.34. Nelicourvi Weaver (Ploceus nelicourvi)

Description: The Nelicourvi Weavers have black masks and bills surrounded by yellow collars. Their underparts are gray with chestnut undertails. Their upperparts are olive-green with brownish-green tails. The females are similar but have yellow heads instead of black ones, with grey lores and olive crown patches.

• Length – Average 5.9 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-0.99 ounces (20-28 g)

Nests: Nelicourvi Weaver nests are bulky, retort-shaped structures with long entrance tunnels woven from palm fibers or pine needles. They are hung over streams or paths using vine or bamboo stems.

Habitat: Nelicourvi Weavers inhabit moist mountain and lowland forests and are also seen in gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Nelicourvi Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Nelicourvi Weavers are endemic to Madagascar.

9.35. Northern Brown-throated Weaver (Ploceus casatanops)

Description: The Northern Brown-throated Weavers mostly have yellow plumage, small dark chestnut masks extending to their throats, and yellow eyes. Their upper parts are olive green with olive-brown wings and yellow fringes. They have black bills and brown legs. Females and non-breeding males are duller, with paler underparts.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.95 ounces (18-27 g)

Nests: Northern Brown-throated Weaver nests are tightly woven, rounded structures with entrances positioned below and small projecting porches. They are constructed using strips of grass and creepers and are situated in tall elephant grass, reeds, papyrus, or ambatch.

Habitat: Northern Brown-throated Weavers mainly inhabit wetlands, including waterside vegetation along lakes and rivers, particularly papyrus and ambatch.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Northern Brown-throated Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Northern Brown-throated Weavers occur in Uganda, Rwanda, and adjacent Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania.

9.36. Northern Masked Weaver (Ploceus taeniopterus)

Description: The Northern Masked Weavers are small with chunky bills and have predominantly yellow plumage with extensive black masks extending to form bibs bordered with chestnut. Their upperparts are yellow-green with darker olive-brown wings that have broad yellow margins. Their eyes are brown, bills black, and legs brown. Females resemble non-breeding males, which are much duller but have whitish wing bars, and their underparts are paler. They also have a yellow supercilium.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-0.95 ounces (20-27 g)

Nests: The Northern Masked Weaver’s nests are oval structures with entrances located below and without tunnels. They are woven on the outside with grass strips and on the inside with thicker grass strips, with ceilings made of grass heads. Reeds, long grass, or papyrus stalks support these nests.

Habitat: Northern Masked Weavers inhabit tall grassland with acacia trees along larger rivers and swamps.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Northern Masked Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Northern Masked Weavers are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan.

9.37. Olive-headed Weaver (Ploceus oliveaceiceps)

Description: Olive-headed Weavers have olive heads and upper parts. Their lower parts are yellow with orange throats, their slender bills are black, and their eyes are deep red. Females are similar but have olive crowns and dull orange bibs.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.60-0.85 ounces (17-24 g)

Nests: Olive-headed Weaver nests are oval structures with a small spout woven mainly from Usnea. Unlike most weavers, who build their nests at the very tips, these nests are typically built about halfway up a branch. They are generally constructed near the crown of trees.

Habitat: The Olive-headed Weavers live in mature miombo woodlands where Usnea lichens are plentiful.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Olive-headed Weavers as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat destruction and degradation caused by slash-and-burn agriculture, rapidly transforming woodland into farmland. Their woodland sites are also facing similar pressures for land and fuel.

Distribution: The Olive-headed Weavers inhabit Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

9.38. Orange Weaver (Ploceus aurantius)

Description: Male Orange Weavers are mostly bright yellow with an orange throat and black lores. Their upperparts are olive green with orange-yellow rumps and olive-brown tails. Their wings have broad yellow edges. Their eyes are deep red to medium brownish-grey. Their bills are blackish to grey-horn, and their legs are fleshy pink. Females are dull-colored with pale underparts.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.74-1.03 ounces (21-29 g)

Nests: Orange weaver nests are tightly woven ovoid-shaped structures with no entrance tunnel in central and West Africa and a short tunnel in Uganda. They are woven with grass or palm strips.

Habitat: Orange Weavers inhabit wetlands, including lakes, rivers, and swamps.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Orange Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Orange Weavers occur in western and central Africa.

9.39. Preuss’s Weaver (Ploceus preussi)

Description: Preuss’s Weavers have predominantly yellow plumage with black wings and tails. Both males and females have black masks with orange-brown crowns, but the foreheads of the males are orange-brown, while females have black foreheads. Their eyes are brown or dark brownish-red; their bills are black, and their legs are brown.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – Average 1.09 ounces (31 g)

Nests: Preuss’s Weaver nests are ball-shaped structures, with their entrances below, woven from strips of palm leaves or greyish Usnea lichens. The nests are fastened to small branches near the canopy of small trees.

Habitat: Preuss’s Weavers inhabits primary and secondary forests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Preuss’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Preuss’s Weavers occur in west and central Africa, from Guinea to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

9.40. Principe Weaver (Ploceus princeps)

Description: Male Principe Weavers are mainly yellow with an orange chestnut wash over their heads, a large, heavy black bill, and light yellow eyes. Their upper bodies are olive green, and their wings are darker and have yellow margins. Females have plainer faces and pale bellies.

• Length – Average 7.09 inches (18 cm)
• Weight – Average 1.06 ounces (30 g)

Nests: Principe Weaver nests are globe-shaped structures with entrances below, woven using torn leaves from banana or palm trees. They are usually suspended from the tips of branches or palm fronds.

Habitat: Principe Weavers inhabit well-timbered forests, secondary forests, and plantations. They are also seen in villages and gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Principe Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Principe Weavers are endemic to the island of Principe in the Gulf of Guinea.

9.41. Rüppell’s Weaver (Ploceus galbula)

Description: Male Rüppell’s Weavers mostly have yellow plumage with chestnut-brown masks that extend to their chins. Their upperparts are olive-green, with darker wings that have yellow margins. Their bills are black, their eyes are reddish-brown, and their legs are brown to pinkish. Females are much duller and have pale lower parts.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.70-01.03 ounces (20-29 g)

Nests: Rüppell’s Weaver nests are globular-shaped structures with an entrance at the bottom and no tunnel initially (although tunnels may be added later). They are woven from long strips of palm fronds or grass and are usually suspended over water from the ends of branches or mature durra stalks.

Habitat: Rüppell’s Weavers inhabit dry thorn savannas, arid coastal plains, wetlands, cultivated lands, and gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Rüppell’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Rüppell’s Weavers occur from Sudan to Somalia and extreme northern Kenya. They are also found in the Arabian Peninsula.

9.42. Sakalava Weaver (Ploceus sakalava)

Description: Male Sakalava Weavers are chunky, big-billed colonial weavers with bright yellow heads that extend down to their upper breasts. Both sexes have red bare skin around their eyes. Their upper parts are gray-brown with wings that have paler margins, while their lower parts are gray with dull white under-tails.

• Length – Average 5.9 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.71-0.99 ounces (20-28 g)

Nests: Sakalava Weaver nests are messy, hanging orbs with 10-120 nests at one site and up to 40 nests in one tree. These nests are retort-shaped structures woven with grass, leaf stems, and strips of palm leaves. They are usually suspended in palms or trees, including baobab trees, and are often seen hanging from the thatched roofs of village houses.

Habitat: Sakalava Weavers inhabit open country in dry lowlands, often near human settlements.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Sakalava Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Sakalava Weavers are endemic to Madagascar.

9.43. São Tomé Weaver (Ploceus sanctithomae)

Description. Male São Tomé Weavers have olive-brown upperparts with brown upper wings featuring two pale wing bars. They have yellow-orange faces with black crowns that transition to dark brown on the mantle. Their lower parts are orange-buff. Females are similar to males but are duller in appearance with buff-white underparts.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.70-0.85 ounces (20-24 g)

Nests: São Tomé Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures woven with liana tendrils and suspended from the tips of branches.

Habitat: São Tomé Weavers inhabit natural primary and secondary woodlands and wooded areas in savannas. They are also seen in coffee plantations.

Conservation: IUCN has listed São Tomé Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: São Tomé Weavers are endemic to São Tomé Islands, in Gulf of Guinea.

9.44. Slender-billed Weaver (Ploceus pelzelni)

Description: The Slender-billed Weavers are small and have predominantly yellow plumage with dark masks that cover their faces, ears, necks, and chins, ending at a point on their breasts. Their upperparts are olive-green with lighter yellow margins on their wings. Their eyes are brown to yellowish, their bills are black, and their legs are blue-gray. Females have duller coloring and pale yellow heads and do not have black masks.

• Length – Average 4.33 inches (11 cm)
• Weight – 0.35-0.56 ounces (10-16 g)

Nests: Slender-billed Weaver nests are roughly woven ball-shaped structures with grass strips and papyrus leaves. They are built without an entrance tunnel and have a side-top porched entrance. The nests are attached to papyrus reeds (sometimes two).

Habitat: Slender-billed Weavers thrive in the lush papyrus and other tall waterside vegetation near lakes and wetland areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Slender-billed Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Slender-billed Weavers occupy central and western Africa.

9.45. Southern Brown-throated Weaver (Ploceus xanthopterus)

Description: The Southern Brown-throated Weaver has bright yellow plumage with chestnut-brown chins, throats, and upper breasts. Their upper wings are olive-brown with broad yellow margins and greenish-yellow tails. They have black bills and pinkish legs. Females are duller than males, without chestnut coloring, and have paler bellies with a buff whitewash from the lower breasts.

• Length – Average 5.9 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.56-0.85 ounces (16-24 g)

Nests: Southern Brown-throated Weaver nests are messy oval structures with an entrance at the bottom and lacking tunnels. They are loosely woven from reeds or grass and are typically constructed in reedbeds attached to 1-3 reeds.

Habitat: Southern Brown-throated Weavers inhabit Papyrus swamps and reedbeds during breeding seasons. During non-breeding, they range further into grasslands, woodlands, and forests.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Southern Brown-throated Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: The Southern Brown-throated Weavers are found in scattered locations in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and South Africa.

9.46. Southern Masked-Weaver (Ploceus velatus)

Description: The Southern Masked-Weaver has mostly yellow plumage with black masks that extend onto their fore crowns, forming a “V” on their upper breasts. Their crowns and napes are yellow, and the rest of their upper parts are yellow-green, with brown wings bordered by narrow yellow margins. Their eyes are red, their bills are black, and their legs are brownish-pink. Females are duller than males without masks and have pale lower parts.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.99-1.06 ounces (28-30 g)

Nests: Southern Masked-Weaver nests are tightly woven, kidney-shaped structures. They have entrances below, are built from grass or strips of palm leaves, and are attached to reeds or suspended from trees, bushes, or bamboo.

Habitat: Southern Masked-Weavers inhabit various habitats, including open savanna, riverine thickets, semi-arid scrub, and farmlands with clumps of trees.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Southern Masked-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Southern Masked Weavers can be found in Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, extending southward to the coasts of South Africa.

9.47. Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis)

Description: Spectacled Weavers are bright yellow with yellow-green upper bodies and thin masks around their yellow eyes, tapering to a point on their ear coverts. Males have a dark bib. Their bills are thin and black, and their legs are gray. Females resemble males but are much lighter and do not have a dark bib.

• Length – 5.91-6.69 inches (15-17 cm)
• Weight – 0.78-1.16 ounces (22-32 g)

Nests: Spectacled Weaver nests are finely woven retort-shaped structures with tunnels lengthened once a male has found a mate.

Habitat: Spectacled Weavers inhabit wooded areas with good cover, forest edges, bushed valleys, and gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Spectacled Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Spectacled Weavers are found in central, eastern, and south-eastern Africa but are absent from the most arid regions.

9.48. Speke’s Weaver (Ploceus spekei)

Description: Speke’s Weavers are large weavers with long-billed black bills. They have mostly yellow plumage with black masks that extend to upper chests and are fringed with chestnut brown. They have yellow crowns and napes with green-yellow, heavily streaked backs. Males’ eyes are light yellow. Females are duller than males and do not have black masks.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.99-1.31 ounces (28-37 g)

Nests: Speke’s Weavers are colonial nesters. They weave oval-shaped structures with short tunnels made from grass stems with leaves attached. The tops of their nests are attached to branches of trees, mostly acacia trees.

Habitat: Speke’s Weavers inhabit bushy savannas and wooded areas, and they are commonly found in urban and suburban areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Speke’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Speke’s Weavers occupy Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

9.49. Strange Weaver (Ploceus alienus)

Description: Male Strange Weavers have black masks extending to their upper breasts like bibs, with a chestnut patch on them. Their lower parts are yellow, and their upper parts are olive green. They have red eyes, black bills, and slaty gray legs. Females are similar, but their black masks do not extend like bibs.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.67-0.85 ounces (19-24 g)

Nests: Strange Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures with short entrance tubes that point outwards. They are woven from thin tendrils of creepers and grass and are usually suspended by the tips of branches over water. These weavers tend to strip the branches of twigs and leaves nearby.

Habitat: Strange Weavers reside in clearings within montane evergreen forests, secondary growth, and bamboo.

Conservancy. IUCN has listed Strange Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Strange Weavers occur in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.

9.50. Tanganyika Masked-Weaver or Tanzanian Masked-Weaver (Ploceus reichardi)

Description: The Tanganyika Masked-Weavers have black masks extending from their foreheads to their chests. They also have a chestnut wash on their breasts and flanks, which change to yellow towards their vents. Their upper parts are olive green with brown wings, broad yellow edges, and tips. Their eyes are red, bills are brown, and legs are brown. Females are less colorful, with light yellow underparts and greenish-yellow upperparts.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)

Nests: Tanganyika Masked-Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures without entrance tunnels, tightly woven with grass strips. They are suspended from bushes over water or at the side of reed stalks.

Habitat: The Tanganyika Masked-Weavers live in swamps with papyrus, bulrushes, and reeds.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Tanganyika Masked-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Tanganyika Masked-Weavers occur in Tanzania and Zambia.

9.51. Taveta Golden-Weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps)

Description: Male Taveta Golden-Weavers have bright yellow-orange plumage with a darker orange collar on their hind crown, connected to a yellow-orange band around their breasts. Their wings and tails are green; they have deep reddish-brown eyes, black bills, and grayish-pink legs. Females lack the yellow-orange bands and have duller colors than males, with paler bellies to vents.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.85 ounces (18-24 g)

Nests: Taveta Golden-Weaver nests are spherical or ovoid-shaped structures woven with strips of reed leaf blades and suspended over water in reeds or overhanging trees.

Habitat: Taveta Golden-Weavers inhabit woodland and dry bush country and breed in lowly swampy areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Taveta Golden-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Taveta Golden-Weavers occur in Kenya and Tanzania.

9.52. Usambara Weaver (Ploceus nicolli)

Description: The Usambara Weavers have black upperparts with brown heads and throats and variable yellow to buffy-brown foreheads and crowns. Their underparts are yellow with rufous chestnut patches on their breasts. They have black bills, reddish-brown eyes, and brownish legs. Females are similar to the males, but their heads are fully brown.

• Length – 5.12-5.51 inches (13-14 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.85 ounces (18-24 g)

Nests: Limited information about Usambara Weaver nests is available, except that they are spherical and covered with Usnea lichen. These nests can be found on trees at the forest edges.

Habitat: The Usambara Weavers are found in the canopy of montane evergreen forests, disturbed forests, plantations, and isolated trees in cultivated areas.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Usambara Weaver as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation caused by human activities such as deforestation for agriculture, timber cutting, and firewood collection.

Distribution: Usambara Weavers are endemic to Tanzania.

9.53. Vieillot’s Black Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus)

Description: Male Vieillot’s Weavers are easily identifiable by their black plumage, yellow eyes, black bills, and greyish-pinkish legs. Females have dull yellow to olive underparts and dull green upperparts. They also have a broad buffy band (sometimes olive green) across their chest and dark gray bills.

• Length – 5.91-6.69 inches (15-17 cm)
• Weight – 0.74-1.55 ounces (21-44 g)

Nests: Vieillot’s Weaver nests are oval-shaped structures with entrances at the bottom, woven roughly with palm leaves or grass strips. They are placed in bullrushes, tall elephant grass, palms, or bamboo.

Habitat: Vieillot’s Weavers inhabit high grass savannas, forest clearings, or wooded areas. They are also found near villages.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Vieillot’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Vieillot’s Weavers occur in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

9.54. Village Weaver or Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)

Description: Male Village Weavers have mostly yellow plumage with a black mask that extends just above their eyes and forms a wedge on their upper breasts. They also have yellow forecrowns, although some males have been noted to have black heads and crowns. Their wing coverts are black with broad green margins, giving them a “spotted back” appearance. Their flight feathers are dark olive-brown with yellow edges and margins. They have red eyes, black bills, and brownish-pink legs.

• Length – Average 6.69 inches (17 cm)
• Weight – 1.20-1.62 ounces (34-46 g)

Nests: Village Weavers’ nests are compact, kidney-shaped structures with large entrances at the bottom. They are woven with strips of reeds, palm, or grass blades and are usually suspended from the ends of branches. The males strip leaves and branches near the nest.

Habitat: Village Weavers are in bushy savannas, forest edges near water, or urban and suburban parks and gardens.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Village Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Village Weavers are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania to Eritrea and Somalia, and southwards to central and eastern Africa, including Angola and South Africa.

9.55. Vitelline Masked-Weaver (Ploceus vitellinus)

Description: Vitelline Masked-Weavers are predominantly yellow with black masks that cover their foreheads down through to the tops of their breasts with a fringe of chestnut brown. Their wings and tails are olive green with yellow margins. Their eyes are red, their bills are black, and their legs are brown. Females and non-breeding males are olive above and yellow below, with a reddish eye.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.78 ounces (18-22 g)

Nest: Vitelline Masked-Weaver nests are oval structures with entrances at the bottom. They are tightly woven with broad blades that are wrapped around the nests, giving them a distinctive look. These nests are usually suspended from the end of thin branches.

Habitat: Vitelline Masked-Weavers live in dry savanna woodlands and semi-arid scrublands like those in the Sahel belt.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Vitelline Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Vitelline Masked-Weavers are found in western, central and eastern Africa.

9.56. Weyns’s Weaver (Ploceus weynsi)

Description: Male Weyns’s Weavers have black upperparts and upper breasts. Their upper wings are dull blackish-brown with narrow yellow edges and margins with yellow tips. Their tails are olive-brown, their eyes are pale, their bills are black, and their legs are brown. Females are much duller, with olive-gray upperparts, pale yellow underparts, and dark breast bands.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.85-1.27 ounces (24-36 g)

Habitat: The Weyns’s Weavers live in forests near lakes and prefer tall trees, as well as secondary growth and forest clearings.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Weyns’s Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: The Weyns’s Weavers are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.

9.57. Yellow-capped Weaver (Ploceus dorsomaculatus)

Description: The Yellow-capped Weavers mostly have yellow feathers, black upperparts, wings and tails, and speckled yellow mantles. Males have black lores, cheeks, ear covers, and chins, while females have black foreheads. Both genders have black eyes and bills and brown legs.

• Length – Average 5.51 inches (14 cm)

Nests: Yellow-capped Weaver nests are tightly woven ball-shaped structures with entrances facing downwards. The nests are woven around forks of hanging branches.

Habitat: Yellow-capped Weavers inhabit evergreen forests. They are mainly seen in submontane forest types.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Yellow-capped Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Yellow-capped Weavers are found in parts of Central Africa such as Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon.

9.58. Yellow-legged Weaver (Ploceus flavipes)

Description: Yellow-legged Weavers are black with gloss on their crowns, napes, and mantles. Their legs are a dull yellow, their bills are black, and their eyes are whitish. Females are similar but less glossy, with yellow eyes.

• Length – Average 7.72 inches (12 cm)

Habitat: Yellow-legged Weavers inhabit canopies of subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Conservation: IUCN has classified the Yellow-legged Weavers as Vulnerable (VU) due to their lowland forest habitat’s ongoing destruction and fragmentation, primarily for agricultural purposes.

Distribution: Yellow-legged Weavers are endemic to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

9.59. Yellow-mantled Weaver (Ploceus tricolor)

Description: Yellow-mantled Weavers are neatly patterned with black upperparts with yellow mantles, and chestnut brown underparts. Their bills are black, eyes are dark red, and legs are brown.

• Length – Average 6.69 inches (17 cm)
• Weight – 1.13-1.55 ounces (32-44 g)

Nests: Yellow-mantled Weaver nests are coarsely woven, retort-shaped structures with wide entrance tunnels using rootlets, vine tendrils, and fibers.

Habitat: Yellow-mantled Weavers inhabit lowland forests along rivers or near swamps, secondary forests, and old plantations.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Yellow-mantled Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Yellow-mantled Weavers are found from Sierra Leone to Uganda and south to northern Angola.

10. Genus Ploceus (found in Asia)

This genus is known as typical weavers.

10.1. Asian Golden Weaver (Ploceus hypoxanthus)

Description: The male Asian Golden Weavers have mostly golden yellow plumage with black masks. Their foreheads and crowns are yellow. They have black wings with greenish-yellow fringes and black tails. Their bills are black, their eyes are brown, and their legs are pinkish. Females are duller yellow with light pink in their bills and much fainter head patterns.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.67 ounces (19 g)

Nests: The Asian Golden Weaver’s nests are rounded structures with side entrances woven from strips of palm or grass leaves. They are typically firmly placed in reeds, bulrushes, trees, or shrubs, often over water or swampy areas.

Habitat: Asian Golden Weavers inhabit lowland wet farmland and natural wetlands, such as swamps, marshes, rice paddies, and flooded grasslands.

Conservation: IUCN has classified the Asian Golden Weavers as Near Threatened (NT) due to the conversion of wetland habitats to agriculture and persecution. They are commonly trapped, and their colonies are robbed and destroyed.

Distribution: Asian Golden Weavers can be found in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam.

10.2. Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus)

Description: Male Baya Weavers have dark brown upperparts streaked with yellow, bright yellow crowns and napes, and dark brown masks that extend as bibs on their upper breasts. They also have cream buff bellies, brown eyes, black bills, and brown legs. Females and nonbreeding males are dark brown with streaked fulvous buff upperparts, unstreaked fulvous white underparts, and horn-colored bills.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.99 ounces (18-28 g)

Nests: Baya Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures with pendulous support sections and long tunnels. They are usually suspended from thorny trees or palm fronds and woven using palm, grass, or rice leaf strips. Baya Weavers typically add mud to the nests for reinforcement.

Habitat: Baya Weavers inhabit grasslands, mangroves, cultivated areas, and scrub with secondary growth, usually near water.

Conservation: IUCN has listed Baya Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Baya Weavers can be found throughout the Indian Subcontinent, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia.

10.3. Black-breasted Weaver, also Bengal Weaver (Ploceus benghalensis)

Description: Male Black-breasted Weavers have bright yellow crowns, black upper breasts, and the rest of the underparts. Female and nonbreeding male brown upperparts, crown; yellow supercilium; pale underparts with perhaps faint breast-band.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.78 ounces (18-22 g)

Nests: The nests of the Black-breasted Weaver are retort-shaped structures with entrance tunnels woven with strips of grass or reed blades. These nests are attached to long grasses, reeds, or bulrushes. The male Black-breasted Weavers add cow dung and bright-colored scarlet or orange flowers or flower petals to the rim. No flowers are added after the females have accepted the nest.

Habitat: Black-breasted Weavers inhabit lowlands with tall standing grass and reeds near water.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Black-breasted Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-breasted Weavers are found in the floodplains of eastern Pakistan and northern India, as well as from southern Nepal to Bangladesh.

10.4. Finn’s Weaver, also Yellow Weaver (Ploceus megarhynchus)

Description: Finn’s Weavers have predominantly yellow plumage with dark cheek patches. Their mantles and backs are dark brown with narrow pale feather fringes, and their rumps are light brown with broad yellow tips. Their upper wings and tails are dark brown. They have black bills, amber-brown eyes, and brown legs. The females are streaky brown above and paler below.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 1.20-1.41 ounces (34-40 g)

Nests: Finn’s Weaver nests are ball-shaped structures without an entrance tube but may have a porch-like projection over the entrances. They are woven with leaves and reed strips and supported by branches rather than being suspended. Stripped leaves around the nest make them more visible.

Habitat: Finn’s Weavers make their homes in grasslands with well-scattered trees, particularly in flooded plains. You can also find them in cultivated sugarcane fields and rice paddies.

Conservation: IUCN has classified the Finn’s Weavers as Endangered (EN) due to the loss and degradation of Terai grasslands, mainly from agriculture, overgrazing, and human development in the Terai region.

Distribution: Finn’s Weavers occur in northern India and adjacent extreme SW Nepal.

10.5. Streaked Weaver (Ploceus manyar)

Description: Male Streaked Weavers have golden crowns with blackish faces and throats. The feathers on their napes and backs are brown with rusty-colored edges, and their upperparts are brown with pale edges. They have buffy white undersides with longitudinal dark streaks on the flanks and upper breasts. Females are less vibrant than breeding males, with buff eyebrows, lightly streaked breasts, and no yellow crown.

• Length – Average 5.91 inches (15 cm)
• Weight – 0.56-0.78 ounces (16-22 g)

Nests: Streaked Weaver nests are retort-shaped structures with long tunnels woven with reeds or palms onto leaves of supporting plants, reeds, bulrushes, or elephant grasses.

Habitat: Streaked Weavers can be found in wetlands, rice paddies, and reedbeds with bulrushes, often associated with elephant grasses.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Streaked Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Streaked Weavers are common in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka and rare in Nepal and Bangladesh.

11. Genus Pseudonigrita

This genus consists of sparrow-like birds in the weaverbird family. This genus includes two species.

11.1. Black-capped Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanasi)

Description: Black-capped Social-Weavers have large black caps, ivory bills, red eyes, brown upperparts, and blackish-brown tails. Their underparts are white with thin black streaks, and flanks are light brown with a black line bordering white bellies. The sexes are similar.

• Length – Average 5.12 inches (13 cm)
• Weight – 0.63-0.85 ounces (18-24 g)

Nests: Black-capped Social-Weavers are colonial nesters that build large, conical nests using straight grass straws. Their nests have two downward-facing entrances, one sealed after egg laying. These nests are predominantly constructed in acacia trees, often attached to slender, dangling branches. The nests are built closely together, creating complex compound structures.

Habitat: Black-capped Social-Weavers are found in dry thornveld.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Black-capped Social-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Black-capped Social-Weavers occur through southern Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and northern Tanzania.

11.2. Gray-capped Social-Weaver also Gray-headed Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi)

Description: Gray-capped Social-Weavers have mostly sandy-brown plumage with gray caps, dark grey bills, and white eye-rings. There is some geographical variation in their back color, which can be brown or gray (dorsalis). Their wings have blackish-brown primaries with a light terminal band in their tails. Both sexes are similar in appearance.

• Length – Average 4.72 inches (12 cm)
• Weight – 0.53-0.92 ounces (15-26 g)

Nests: Gray-capped Social-Weaver are colonial nesters that build large, conical nests using straight grass straws. Their nests have two downward-facing entrances, one sealed after egg laying. These nests are predominantly constructed in acacia trees, often attached to slender, dangling branches. The nests are built closely together, creating complex compound structures. Birds consistently add to and modify the nest.

Habitat: Gray-capped Social-Weavers inhabit dry bush and dry woodlands.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Gray-capped Social-Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Gray-capped Social-Weavers are found in eastern Africa. Two subspecies are currently recognized:

• P.a. arnaudi in southwestern Sudan, south to northwestern Tanzania.
• P.a. dorsalis in north, central, and eastern Tanzania.

12. Genus Sporopipes

There is only one species in this genus.

12.1. Speckle-fronted Weaver (Sporopipes frontalis)

Description: The Speckled-fronted Weavers are small, finch-like birds. They have black foreheads with white speckles, light chestnut napes and backs, brown upperparts with lighter edges on their wings, and whitish lowerparts. They also have black submoustachial streaks surrounding their grey faces. Their bills are pale, horny-brown, eyes are brown, and legs are brown.

• Length – Average 4.33 inches (11 cm)
• Weight – 0.49-0.78 ounces (14-22 g)

Nests: Speckled-fronted Weaver nests are large ball structures with dry grass with entrances at the sides. They are normally placed in branches of acacia trees.

Habitat: The Speckled-fronted Weavers are commonly found in dry bush and open thorn-scrub savannas, often around villages.

Conservation: IUCN has listed the Speckled-fronted Weavers as Least Concern (LC).

Distribution: Speckled-fronted Weavers are found in Africa from Mauritania and Gambia in the west to Ethiopia and Tanzania in the east.

Conclusion

Weaver birds are truly remarkable bird species due to their adaptability and resourcefulness. They showcase impressive weaving skills, resulting in nests of varying sizes, shapes, and styles. Whether they opt for tightly knit, meticulously constructed nests, loosely woven ones, or colonial structures with separate units, their ingenuity is awe-inspiring. We must recognize and safeguard these birds because of their remarkable ability to thrive in various environments.