Weaver



The Ploceidae, or weavers, are small passerine birds related to the finches.

Biology
These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which are from Sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia. A few species have been introduced outside their native range. 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, though some, like the buffalo-weavers, form massive untidy stick nests in their colonies, which may have 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 downward.

Many weaver species are gregarious and breed colonially. The birds build their nests together for protection, 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.

Phylogeny
These species are not closely related to the sparrows (Passeridae) nor to the Emberizidae, according to Luis Allende and colleagues.

Species list

 * Genus Amblyospiza
 * Thick-billed Weaver, Amblyospiza albifrons


 * Genus Sporopipes
 * Speckle-fronted Weaver, Sporopipes frontalis
 * Scaly-feathered Weaver, Sporopipes squamifrons


 * Genus Histurgops
 * Rufous-tailed Weaver, Histurgops ruficauda


 * Genus Philetairus
 * Sociable Weaver, Philetairus socius
 * Grey-capped Social-Weaver, Pseudonigrita arnaudi
 * Black-capped Social-Weaver, Pseudonigrita cabanisi


 * Genus Plocepasser
 * White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Plocepasser mahali
 * Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Plocepasser superciliosus
 * Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-Weaver, Plocepasser donaldsoni
 * Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver, Plocepasser rufoscapulatus


 * Genus Dinemellia
 * White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli


 * Genus Bubalornis
 * White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis albirostris
 * Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Bubalornis niger


 * Genus Ploceus
 * Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus
 * Finn's Weaver, Ploceus megarhynchus
 * Black-breasted Weaver, Ploceus benghalensis
 * Streaked Weaver, Ploceus manyar
 * Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus


 * Genus Pachyphantes
 * Compact Weaver, Ploceus superciliosus


 * Genus Quelea
 * Red-billed Quelea, Quelea quelea
 * Red-headed Quelea, Quelea erythrops
 * Cardinal Quelea, Quelea cardinalis


 * Genus Foudia
 * Seychelles Fody, Foudia sechellarum
 * Rodrigues Fody, Foudia flavicans
 * Mauritius Fody, Foudia rubra
 * Comoros Fody, Foudia eminentissima
 * Aldabra Fody, Foudia aldabrana
 * Red Fody, Foudia madagascariensis
 * Forest Fody, Foudia omissa


 * Genus Euplectes
 * Golden-backed Bishop, Euplectes aureus
 * Yellow-crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer
 * Bob-tailed Weaver, Brachycope anomala
 * Northern Red-Bishop, Euplectes franciscanus
 * Southern Red-Bishop, Euplectes orix
 * Black Bishop, Euplectes gierowii
 * Black-winged Red-Bishop, Euplectes hordeaceus
 * Red-collared Widowbird, Euplectes ardens
 * Fire-fronted Bishop, Euplectes diadematus
 * Zanzibar Red-Bishop, Euplectes nigroventris
 * Yellow Bishop, Euplectes capensis
 * White-winged Widowbird, Euplectes albonotatus
 * Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Euplectes macroura
 * Jackson's Widowbird, Euplectes jacksoni
 * Fan-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes axillaris
 * Long-tailed Widowbird, Euplectes progne
 * Marsh Widowbird, Euplectes hartlaubi
 * Montane Widowbird, Euplectes psammacromius


 * Genus Nelicurvius
 * Nelicourvi Weaver, Ploceus nelicourvi
 * Sakalava Weaver, Ploceus sakalava


 * Genus Malimbus
 * Blue-billed Malimbe, Malimbus nitens
 * Crested Malimbe, Malimbus malimbicus
 * Gola Malimbe, Malimbus ballmanni
 * Rachel's Malimbe, Malimbus racheliae
 * Red-vented Malimbe, Malimbus scutatus
 * Cassin's Malimbe, Malimbus cassini
 * Ibadan Malimbe, Malimbus ibadanensis
 * Red-bellied Malimbe, Malimbus erythrogaster
 * Preuss's Weaver, Malimbus preussi
 * Golden-naped Weaver, Malimbus aureonucha
 * Yellow-capped Weaver, Malimbus dorsomaculatus
 * Yellow-mantled Weaver, Malimbus tricolor
 * Yellow-legged Weaver, Malimbus flavipes
 * Red-headed Weaver, Malimbus rubriceps
 * Dark-backed Weaver, Malimbus bicolor
 * Red-crowned Malimbe, Malimbus coronatus
 * Sao Tome Weaver, Malimbus sanctithomae
 * Bar-winged Weaver, Malimbus angolensis
 * Red-headed Malimbe, Malimbus rubricollis
 * Maxwell's Black Weaver, Ploceus albinucha
 * Brown-capped Weaver, Ploceus insignis
 * Olive-headed Weaver, Ploceus olivaceiceps
 * Usambara Weaver, Ploceus nicolli


 * Genus Textor
 * Black-chinned Weaver, Textor nigrimentus
 * Baglafecht Weaver, Textor baglafecht
 * Bertram's Weaver, Textor bertrandi
 * Slender-billed Weaver, Textor pelzelni
 * Loango Weaver, Textor subpersonatus
 * Little Weaver, Textor luteolus
 * Lesser Masked Weaver, Textor intermedius
 * Spectacled Weaver, Textor ocularis
 * Bannerman's Weaver, Textor bannermani
 * Bates's Weaver, Textor batesi
 * Black-necked Weaver, Textor nigricollis
 * Black-billed Weaver, Textor melanogaster
 * Strange Weaver, Textor alienus
 * Bocage's Weaver, Textor temporalis
 * Cape Weaver, Textor capensis
 * Eastern Golden Weaver, Textor subaureus
 * Holub's Golden Weaver, Textor xanthops
 * Príncipe Weaver, Textor princeps
 * Orange Weaver, Textor aurantius
 * Golden Palm Weaver, Textor bojeri
 * Taveta Weaver, Textor castaneiceps
 * Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Textor xanthopterus
 * Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Textor castanops
 * Kilombero Weaver, Textor burnieri
 * Rueppell's Weaver, Textor galbula
 * Heuglin's Masked Weaver, Textor heuglini
 * Northern Masked Weaver, Textor taeniopterus
 * Vitelline Masked Weaver, Textor vitellinus
 * Southern Masked Weaver, Textor velatus
 * Katanga Masked Weaver Textor katangae
 * Lufira Masked Weaver, Textor ruweti
 * Tanzanian Masked Weaver, Textor reichardi
 * Village Weaver, Textor cucullatus
 * Giant Weaver, Textor grandis
 * Speke's Weaver, Textor spekei
 * Fox's Weaver, Textor spekeoides
 * Vieillot's Black Weaver, Textor nigerrimus
 * Weyns's Weaver, Textor weynsi
 * Clarke's Weaver, Textor golandi
 * Black-headed Weaver, Textor melanocephalus
 * Juba Weaver, Textor dichrocephalus
 * Golden-backed Weaver, Textor jacksoni
 * Cinnamon Weaver, Textor badius
 * Chestnut Weaver, Textor rubiginosus