Weavers, widowbirds

Ploceidae

Taxonomy Version: IOC 10.2
family
Taxonomy Ranking
Level Rank Scientific Name

Weavers and widowbirds are seed-eaters with robust, conical bills. The name "weaver" derives from their densely woven nests; in some cases these structures are built colonially and may become huge, containing hundreds of pairs. Most weavers have plumages in a combination of black with red or yellow; the widowbirds are mostly black, males having long tails used in display. Besides the weavers and buffalo weavers, other common names for genera within the family include bishops (genus Euplectes), fodies (Foudia), queleas (Quelea) and malimbes (Malimbus). The majority of species are found in sub-Saharan Africa, though some are found in tropical areas of Asia. Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) is an irruptive and agriculturally destructive species, often described as the world's most abundant wild bird.

  • White-browed Sparrow-Weaver - Kenya © Derek Moore

  • Baya Weaver - Rajastan © Derek Moore

  • Baya Weaver - Karnataka © Ragoo Rao

  • Sakalava Weaver - Madagascar © Peter Gasson

  • Black-headed Weaver - Algarve © Peter Thomson

  • White-browed Sparrow-Weaver - South Africa © Tim Dean

Select Genus
Scientific Name English Name Rank Rarity (UK) Image
British & Irish Records Archive

All Records (Accepted, Rejected, Pending). To filter/search please enter a phrase. E.g. To filter Rejected records, type Rejected into the Search box, all columns can be filtered.

British & Irish Records Archive is only available to our BirdGuides Ultimate or our BirdGuides Pro subscribers.
Please login or subscribe to view this information.