Weavers
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The Weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches.
These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which breed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia and also in Australia. The weaver group is divided into the buffalo, sparrow, typical, and widow weavers. 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 birds, also known as weaver finches get their name because of their elaborately woven nests (the most elaborate of any birds), though some are notable for their selective parasitic nesting habits. The nests vary in size, shape, material used and construction techniques from species to species. Materials used for building nests include fine leaf-fibers, grass and twigs. Many species weave very fine nests using thin strands of leaf fiber, and some like the buffalo-weavers, however, form massive untidy stick nests in their colonies, which may have several spherical woven nests within. The sparrow weavers of Africa build apartment-house nests, in which 100 to 300 pairs have separate flask-shaped chambers entered by tubes at the bottom. Most species weave nests that have narrow entrances, facing upside down.
The weavers are gregarious birds which often breed colonially. The birds build their nests together, often several to a branch. Usually the male birds weave the nests and use them as a form of display to lure prospective females. The weaver bird colonies may be found close to water bodies. They sometimes cause crop damage, notably the Red-billed Quelea, reputed to be the world's most numerous bird.
Species list in taxonomic order
- White-billed Buffalo-weaver, Bubalornis albirostris : The White-billed Buffalo-weaver is a resident breeding bird species in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. This common weaver occurs in open country, especially cultivation and scrub. It is a communal breeder, building massive untidy stick nests in tree colonies, each of which may have several spherical woven nests within. 2-4 eggs are laid. The White-billed Buffalo-weaver is large and stocky, commonly measuring 23 to 24 centimeters. The adult is mainly black with white flecking on the back and wings. The conical bill is very thick, and appers more so because it is surmounted by a white frontal head shield. The bill is white in breeding males. The adult female and non-breeding male are similar, but the bill is black. Young birds are dark brown in plumage. The White-billed Buffalo-weaver is a gregarious species which feeds on grain and insects. This is a noisy bird, especially at the colonies, with a range of cackles and squeaks. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, Bubalornis niger
- White-headed Buffalo-weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli
- Speckle-fronted Weaver, Sporopipes frontalis
- Scaly Weaver, Sporopipes squamifrons
- White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser mahali
- Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser superciliosus
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser rufoscapulatus- Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser donaldsoni
- Rufous-tailed Weaver, Histurgops ruficauda
- Grey-headed Social-weaver, Pseudonigrita arnaudi
- Black-capped Social-weaver, Pseudonigrita cabanisi
- Social Weaver, Philetairus socius
- Bannerman's Weaver, Ploceus bannermani
- Bates' Weaver, Ploceus batesi
- Black-chinned Weaver, Ploceus nigrimentum
- Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
- Bertrand's Weaver, Ploceus bertrandi
- Slender-billed Weaver, Ploceus pelzelni
- Loango Weaver, Ploceus subpersonatus
- Little Weaver, Ploceus luteolus
- Lesser Masked-weaver, Ploceus intermedius
- Spectacled Weaver, Ploceus ocularis
- Black-necked Weaver, Ploceus nigricollis:
The Black-necked Weaver is a resident breeding bird species in much of tropical Africa from Senegal and northern Angola east to southern Sudan and Tanzania.
This weaver occurs in forests, especially in wet habitats. It builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and creepers with a 15cm downward facing entrance tunnel hanging from the globular egg chamber. The nest is suspended from a branch in a tree and 2-3 eggs are laid. It nests in pairs but forms small flocks when not breeding.
The Black-necked Weaver is a stocky 16cm bird with a strong conical bill. The adult male of the northern race has olive upperparts and wings, and yellow underparts and head. It has a black eyemask and bib, and a pale yellow iris. The non-breeding male has a yellow head with an olive crown, grey upperparts and whitish. The wings remain yellow and black.
The adult female also has olive upperparts and wings, and yellow underparts and head. It has a black eyemask but no bib.
The southern race found from Nigeria eastwards has a quite different appearance, with almost black upperparts and tail.
The Black-necked Weaver feeds on insects and vegetable matter. The calls of this bird include a wheezing dew-dew-twee .
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Black-billed Weaver, Ploceus melanogaster
- Strange Weaver, Ploceus alienus
- Bocage's Weaver, Ploceus temporalis
- Cape Weaver, Ploceus capensis
- African Golden-weaver, Ploceus subaureus
- Holub's Golden-weaver, Ploceus xanthops
- Principe Golden-weaver, Ploceus princeps
- Orange Weaver, Ploceus aurantius
- Golden Palm Weaver, Ploceus bojeri
- Taveta Golden-weaver, Ploceus castaneiceps
- Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Ploceus xanthopterus
- Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Ploceus castanops
- Kilombero Weaver, Ploceus burnieri
- Rueppell's Weaver, Ploceus galbula
- Heuglin's Masked-weaver, Ploceus heuglini
- Northern Masked-weaver, Ploceus taeniopterus
- African Masked-weaver, Ploceus velatus
- Tanzania Masked-weaver, Ploceus reichardi
- Village Weaver, Ploceus cucullatus
- Giant Weaver, Ploceus grandis
- Speke's Weaver, Ploceus spekei
- Fox's Weaver, Ploceus spekeoides
- Vieillot's Weaver, Ploceus nigerrimus
- Weyns' Weaver, Ploceus weynsi
- Clarke's Weaver, Ploceus golandi
- Black-headed Weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus
- Salvadori's Weaver, Ploceus dichrocephalus
- Golden-backed Weaver, Ploceus jacksoni
- Cinnamon Weaver, Ploceus badius
- Chestnut Weaver, Ploceus rubiginosus
- Golden-naped Weaver, Ploceus aureonucha
- Yellow-mantled Weaver, Ploceus tricolor
- Maxwell's Black Weaver, Ploceus albinucha
- Nelicourvi Weaver, Ploceus nelicourvi
- Sakalava Weaver, Ploceus sakalava
- Streaked Weaver, Ploceus manyar :
The Streaked Weaver is a species of weaver bird found in South Asia. These are not as common as the Baya Weaver but are similar looking but have streaked underparts. They nest in small colonies often in reed beds near water bodies. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus
- Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus
- Yellow Weaver, Ploceus megarhynchus :
The Yellow Weaver aka Finn's Weaver or Finn's Baya is a species of weaver bird found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys in India and Nepal.
The habitat is tall grassland typically Typha or Phragmites reed covered swamps. Also in grasslands with Saccharum spontaneum.
They feed mostly on seeds, sometimes foraging on fallen seed on roadsides. They also take insects.
They breeds from May to September. The nest is built on top of trees or in reeds. The nest is different in structure from the other weaver species found in India but like in other weavers woven from think strips of leaves and and reeds. It is lined on the entire inside unlike the other weavers which line only the floor of the nest. Males strip the leaves of the nest tree making the globular nests clearly visible.
Males are successively polygamous, mating with 1 to 4 females. The clutch size is 2 to 4 eggs. The female alone incubates and the egg hatches in 14-15 days.
The species was first noted by Hume (1869) from captive birds.
(Source: Wikipedia.org) - Bengal Weaver, Ploceus benghalensis
- Forest Weaver, Ploceus bicolor
- Preuss' Weaver, Ploceus preussi
- Yellow-capped Weaver, Ploceus dorsomaculatus
- Usambara Weaver, Ploceus nicolli
- Olive-headed Weaver, Ploceus olivaceiceps
- Brown-capped Weaver, Ploceus insignis
- Bar-winged Weaver, Ploceus angolensis
- Sao Tome Weaver, Ploceus sanctithomae
- Compact Weaver, Pachyphantes superciliosus
- Yellow-legged Malimbe, Malimbus flavipes
- Red-crowned Malimbe, Malimbus coronatus
- Black-throated Malimbe, Malimbus cassini
- Ballmann's Malimbe, Malimbus ballmanni
- Rachel's Malimbe, Malimbus racheliae
- Red-vented Malimbe, Malimbus scutatus
- Ibadan Malimbe, Malimbus ibadanensis
- Red-bellied Malimbe, Malimbus erythrogaster
- Gray's Malimbe, Malimbus nitens
- Crested Malimbe, Malimbus malimbicus
- Red-headed Malimbe, Malimbus rubricollis
- Red-headed Weaver, Anaplectes rubriceps
- Bob-tailed Weaver, Brachycope anomala
- Cardinal Quelea, Quelea cardinalis
- Red-headed Quelea, Quelea erythrops
- Red-billed Quelea, Quelea quelea
- Red Fody, Foudia madagascariensis
- Red-headed Fody, Foudia eminentissima
- Forest Fody, Foudia omissa
- Mauritius Fody, Foudia rubra :
The Mauritius Fody is a bird endemic to the island of Mauritius. It is classified by BirdLife International as being Critically Endangered, having a current estimated population of less than 250. Threats include loss of habitat and introduced predators. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Seychelles Fody, Foudia sechellarum :
The Steychelles Fody is a small yellowish songbird that lives in the Seychelles Islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Fregate Island, D'Arros Island and as of 2004 Denis Island. The IUCN has recently changed the status of the bird from "endangered" to "near threatened" due to successful conservation efforts by Nature Seychelles. Presently it is estimated that there are approximately 3500 Seychelles Fodies. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Rodrigues Fody, Foudia flavicans
- Yellow-crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer
- Fire-fronted Bishop, Euplectes diadematus
- Black Bishop, Euplectes gierowii
- Black-winged Red Bishop,Euplectes hordeaceus :
The Black-winged Red Bishop is a resident breeding bird species in tropical Africa from Senegal to Sudan and south to Angola and Tanzania.
This common weaver occurs in a range of open country, especially tall grassland and often near water. It builds a spherical woven nest in tall grass. 2-4 eggs are laid.
The Black-winged Red Bishop is a stocky 13-15cm bird. The breeding male is scarlet apart from his black face, belly and wings and brown tail. The conical bill is thick and black. He displays prominently, singing high-pitched twitters from tall grass, puffing out his feathers or performing a slow hovering display flight.
The non-breeding male is yellow-brown, streaked above and shading to whitish below. It has a whitish supercilium. It resembles non-breeding male Northern Red Bishop, but is darker and has black wings. Females are similar, but paler. Young birds have wider pale fringes on their flight feathers.
The Black-winged Red Bishop is a gregarious species which feeds on seed, grain and some insects. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
- Orange Bishop, Euplectes franciscanus
- Northern Red Bishop, Euplectes orix
- Zanzibar Bishop, Euplectes nigroventris
- Golden-backed Bishop, Euplectes aureus
- Yellow Bishop, Euplectes capensis
- Fan-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes axillaris
- Yellow-shouldered Widowbird, Euplectes macrourus
- White-winged Widowbird, Euplectes albonotatus
- Red-collared Widowbird, Euplectes ardens
- Marsh Widowbird, Euplectes hartlaubi
- Buff-shouldered Widowbird, Euplectes psammocromius
- Long-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes progne
- Jackson's Widowbird, Euplectes jacksoni
- Parasitic Weaver, Anomalospiza imberbis
- Grosbeak Weaver, Amblyospiza albifrons
Source: Wikipedia.org
Care and Feeding:
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