#ploceidae

[herpsandbirds]

Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) male, GETTIN PUFFAY!, family Ploceidae, order Passeriformes, found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa

photograph by Ian Gill

[snototter]

A lesser masked weaver (Ploceus intermedius) in Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province

by Leon Molenaar

[best-bird-tournament]

Weaver (Ploceidae) family - round 2

Which is the best bird?

Jackson's widowbird

White-headed buffalo weaver

Spectacled weaver

Sociable weaver

Voting ended onDec 14, 2025

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Which African animal is known for manifesting in swarms of well several million, blotting out the sky when they pass and consuming every bit of green in their path? If you guessed the red-billed quela, you're correct! Also known as Africa's feathered locust, they are considered the second most abundant bird in the world behind domestic chickens.

(Image: several members of a flock of red-billed quela (Quelea quelea) by Bernard Dupon)

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[daily-bird-facts]

presenting the very very yellow Bertram's weaver. poorly documented and highly localized to several geographically isolated mountain regions in eastern Africa. these include the southern stretch of the Tazanian Eastern Rift Mountains, Malawi's Shire Highlands and Nyika Plateau, and the uniquely dense shrubland of the Itigi-Sumbu Thicket found in northern Zambia. their sexual dimorphism takes a rather unusual form (by my standards), as the males and females look largely alike save for the extent of the black plumage on their heads. females' faces are covered in black, whereas males bear only an eye mask and a spot on the back of their head. i find this amusingly similar to human male-pattern baldness.

fairly sedentary birds, and capable of inhabiting a wide range of habitats, including forests, savannah, grassland, scrub, riversides, and farms. consumes insects and nectar, and likes to have company while foraging, often found in pairs or small groups. reportedly, they nest solitarily and maintain monogamous pairings for at least one nesting cycle, if not more. during nest construction, their chosen medium is broad-leaved grasses, which are woven into a ball by the pair and usually placed on the tip of a tree branch.

1 July 2026

[all-bird-creechur]

Aldabra Fody Foudia aldabrana

It is endemic to Aldabra, an atoll northwest of Madagascar, part of Seychelles. Adult males spend most of the year defending and maintaining nesting territories. They are strongly territorial, with a characteristic threat display consisting of drooping the wings and tail while puffing out the feathers of the head, breast, and rump.

image by Matthew Morgan

[saritawolf]

Southern Red Bishop (male in breeding plumage) (Euplectes orix) - (c) SaritaWolf - please do not repost

[birdblues]

Southern Masked Weaver