BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES

Weavers, Widowbirds

Weavers and their relatives include bishops, widowbirds, malimbes, buffalo-weavers and sparrow-weavers. Their sturdy bills accompany a wide range of plumage, with some males developing brilliant breeding colours or elongated tails. Examples include White-billed Buffalo Weaver (Bubalornis albirostris), White-headed Buffalo Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli), and White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali). Seeds and invertebrates are important foods. Many species weave elaborate nests, but nest form varies greatly and communal structures differ from the familiar hanging woven pouch. Seasonal plumage changes can transform the appearance of some members, making a brown nonbreeding flock look very different from a colony of displaying, brightly coloured males.

How to recognize Weavers, Widowbirds

Bill: strong conical bills.
Outline: varied bodies with often contrasting breeding plumage.
Feeding: taking seeds and insects with diverse nesting behaviour.

Where they live

Africa holds most of the diversity, with native members also in parts of Asia and introduced populations elsewhere. Grassland, wetlands, savanna, woodland and forest support different lineages. Some colonies hang over water or from exposed branches, while others occupy thorn trees or large communal structures. Food and nesting resources are therefore distributed differently among species, and a marsh-dwelling bishop should not be assigned the habitat of a forest malimbe.

Species accounts: White-billed Buffalo Weaver · White-headed Buffalo Weaver · White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: Weavers, Widowbirds natural history · Cornell Birds of the World: White-billed Buffalo Weaver species account · Don Roberson: Weavers, Widowbirds field observations and natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.