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WEAVERS

Order Passeriformes    Family Ploceidae

Weavers are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which breed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia and also in Australia. The weaver group is divided into the buffalo-weavers, sparrow-weavers and typical weavers. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season. Weaver get their name because of their elaborately woven nests. The nests vary in size, shape, material used, and construction techniques from species to species. Materials used for building nests include fine leaf-fibers, grass, and twigs. Most species weave nests that have narrow entrances, facing downward. The weavers are gregarious birds which often breed colonially. Usually the male birds weave the nests and use them as a form of display to lure prospective females.

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


Genus Amblyospiza - 1 species

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




Genus Anaplectes - 1 species

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




Genus Brachycope - 1 species

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



Genus Bubalornis Found: Africa

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


Weaver,_White-billed Buffalo-   Bubalornis albirostris Found: Africaequator)
The White-billed Buffalo-Weaver has mainly black plumage with a little white on the wings. Male has white bill, female has black.
Image by: 1) Frans_Vandewalle - Gambia   2) Peter Steward - Kenya  3) JV Verde - Gambia   4) Francesco_Veronesi  - Kenya



Genus Dinemellia - 1 species

Weaver, White-headed Buffalo- Dinemellia dinemelli   Found: Africa
The White-headed Buffalo-Weaver has blackish upperparts; white head, underparts; orange-red run, under-tail.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Tanzania  2) Dick - Jacksonville Zoo, Florida   3) Dick - San Diego Zoo   4) Steve Garvie - Bufalo Springs NP, Kenya.



Genus Histurgops- 1 species

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



Genus Philetairus - 1 species

Weaver, Sociable  Philetairus socius  Found: southern Africa
The Social Weaver has a scallaped back, flanks; black chin.
Image by: 1) Jerry Oldenettel - Nambia   2) Pim Stouten - South Africa  3) Mary Wu  4) Andy Cowley - Namibia  5) Cristiano Crolle - Solitaire, Namibia  6) Daniele Columbo - South Africa 
1) Juvenile




Genus Plocepasser Found: Africa
The Sparrow-weavers.

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


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


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


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





Genus Ploceus Found: Africa, also Europe
Typical Weavers

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


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


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


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


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


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


Weaver,_Black-billed  Ploceus melanogaster  Found: Africa
The Black-billed Weaver has mainly black plumage; black bill; yellow head. Male has black throat,
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya  3) Robert_van_Zalinge - Uganda  Dave_Curtis
1, 2, 3) Female


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


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



Weaver, Black-necked  Ploceus nigricollis  Found: Africa
The male Black-necked Weaver of the northern race has olive upperparts, wings; yellow underparts, head; black eye-mask, bib. Female similar, but not black bib. The southern race found from Nigeria eastwards has a quite different appearance, with almost black upperparts and tail.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Peter Steward - Kenya   Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana  4) Simon Tonge
1, 2) Female  3, 4) Male


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


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


Weaver, Cape  Ploceus capensis  Found: South Africa
The Cape Weaver has streaked olive-brown upperparts; loing and pointed conical bill. Breeding male has yellow head and underparts; white eyes. Female has olive-yellow head, breast; yellow lower-belly, brown eyes.
Image by:  1, 2) Dick Daniels - Oudshoorn, South Africa  3) Arno Meintjes  4) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa  5, 6, 7, 8) Dick- Swaziland  9) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa  10) Cristiano Crolle - West Coast National Park, South Africa
1, 2) Female  3 - 9) Male




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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Weaver,_Orange   Ploceus aurantius Found: Africa
The breeding male Orange Weaver has mainly orange plumage; black beak. Female and nonbreeding male have mainly brownish upperparts; cream-colored underparts.
Image by: 1) Michael and Helen Cox  2, 3) Francesco_Veronesi - Ghana


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Weaver, Southern Masked-  Ploceus velatus  Found: southern Africa
The breeding male Southern Masked-Weaver has yellowish-green upperparts; black face, throat, bill; red eye; bright yellow head, underparts. Female has greenish-yellow upperparts; yellowish throat fading to off-white on belly; red-brown eyes..Non-breedinb male resemble female but retains the red eyes.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Jonannesburg, South Africa   7) Derek Keats  8) Cristiano Crolle - Swakopmund, Namibia
1 - 4) Female 5 - 8) Male


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


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



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


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


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


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


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


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



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


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


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


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


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



Genus Ploceus  Found: Asia
Typical Weavers

Weaver,_Asian_Golden-  Ploceus hypoxanthus  Found: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
The breeding male Asian Golden Weaver has mainly yellow plumage; black mask.
Image by: 1) Thet_Zaw_Naing - Myanmar  2) David_Cook - Thailand  3) Hiyashi_Haka  4) Francesco_Veronesi - Thailand


Weaver,_Baya  Ploceus philippinus  Found: Indian subcontinent, China, southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The breeding male Baya Weaver has dark brown upperparts streaked yellowish; bright yellow crown, nape, breast; dark brown mask; blackish-brown bill; cream buff belly. Female and non breeding male darl brown streaked fluvous buff upperparts; unstreaked fulvous white underparts; horn colored bill.
Image by: 1) Imran_Shah - Pakistan  2) Vijay_Ismavel  4) Magentic_Manifestations  6) Tarique_Sani    3, 5) Shantanu_Kuveskar - Insia
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male



Weaver,_Black-breasted also Bengal Weaver  Ploceus benghalensis  Found: Indian subcontinent
The breeding male Black-breasted Weaver has bright yellow crown; black upper-breast; rest underparts whitish. Female and nonbreeding male brown upperparts, crown; yellow supercilium; pale underparts with perhaps faint breast-band.
Image by: 1) Aaron_Maizlish - India 2) JM_Garg - India  3) Viral_Patel - India  4) Imran_Shah- Pakistan
1) Female 3, 4) Male


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


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




Genus Pseudonigrita Found: Africa

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


Weaver,_Gray-capped_Social also Gray-headed Social Weaver Pseudonigrita arnaudi   Found: Africa
The Gray-capped Social-Weaver has mainly liver-colored plumage; pale gray crown; dark gray bill; whitish eye-ring; some black in the wings. Male cap is almost white; females is more light gray.
Image by: 1) Shyamal    2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania   4) Steve Garvie - Kenya  5) Dick - Kenya  6) Allan_Hopkins - Tanzania




Genus Sporopipes Found: Africa

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


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





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