Village Weaver
Ploceus cucullatus
The Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is a uncommon weaver found in 62 countries, weighing about 36 g. The village weaver , also known as the spotted-backed weaver or black-headed weaver, is a bird species in the family Ploceidae found in much of sub-Saharan Africa.
About the Village Weaver
The village weaver , also known as the spotted-backed weaver or black-headed weaver, is a bird species in the family Ploceidae found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been introduced to Portugal and Venezuela as well as to the islands of Hispaniola, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Mauritius and Réunion.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The village weaver is a stocky, 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) bird with a strong conical bill and dark reddish eyes. In the northern part of its range, the breeding male has a black head edged by chestnut (typically most distinct on the nape and chest). Towards the southern part of its range, the amount of black and chestnut diminish, and the breeding males of the southernmost subspecies only have a black face and throat, while the nape and crown are yellow. In all subspecies, the breeding male has a black bill, black and yellow upperparts and wings, and yellow underparts.
What the Village Weaver sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Spain, Portugal, Kuwait, France.
When to see it
The Village Weaver can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Village Weaver?
- The village weaver is a stocky, 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) bird with a strong conical bill and dark reddish eyes. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Village Weaver?
- The Village Weaver is a small sized bird weighing about 36 g.
- Where can you see a Village Weaver?
- The Village Weaver occurs in 62 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and the Gambia.
- What does a Village Weaver sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Village Weaver on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Village Weaver?
- The Village Weaver is most easily confused with the Baya Weaver, the Cape Weaver and the Cape Weaver.
- Is the Village Weaver endangered?
- The Village Weaver is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Village Weaver for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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