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Weaver Wednesday [194] - Discovery [77]: Bocage's Weaver

2016-03-02 (703)

gravit8 Weaver Wednesday (species text)

Bocage's Weaver Ploceus temporalis

Bocage's Weaver
Bocage's Weaver male,
figure from Shelley (1905)
Bocage's Weaver
Bocage's Weaver nest,
figure from Hall (1960)
Bocage's Weaver map
Bocage's Weaver
distribution, type locality circled

Introduction

Bocage's Weaver was formally described by Jose Vicente Barbosa du Bocage, a Portuguese zoologist and politician. He was curator of the Lisbon Museum, and described several other weavers.

Bocage's Weaver was collected by Jose Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta, a Portuguese explorer and naturalist, who collected a large number of birds in Angola.

In 1867 the Portuguese government hired Anchieta as a naturalist but probably also as a secret agent and informer in the Caconda region of Angola. Anchieta lived in Caconda, explored the area and sent many specimens and letters to his scientific correspondents in Lisbon. Anchieta discovered Bocage's Weaver near Caconda, at the south-western edge of the range of this weaver. Anchieta sent a crate of specimens to Lisbon of 126 birds collected between 1879-80, including a single male specimen of Bocage's Weaver.

The Latin name of Bocage's Weaver refers to the olive mask on the face ("temples"). The first English name was simply translated to Temporal Weaver Bird, but later authors gave an English name after the describer of the species.

The first illustration of the Bocage's Weaver was of the type published in Shelley (1905). The second illustration for the species was a photo of a nest, published by Hall (1960).

Scientific citation

Hyphantornis temporalis Bocage 1880 Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat. Lisboa, 7, p.244 Cacunda, Angola.

Meaning of names

temporalis, Latin: temporalis, of the temples of the head (tempus, the temples).

First English name

Temporal Weaver Bird (Layard 1884).

Alternate names

Angola Golden Weaver, Benguela Weaver-bird, Bocage's Golden Weaver.

Collector

Jose de Anchieta.

Date collected

1879-1880.

Locality collected

Caconda, Angola.

Type specimens

The type specimen was in the Museum of Lisbon, before a fire destroyed the museum.

All news items relating to this species

The headers below refer to Weaver News items featuring this species. Click on a header to see the News item, which includes the full news item. (The number in brackets is the date that the news item appeared on Weaver Watch).


Weaver Wednesday [194] - Discovery [77]: Bocage's Weaver (2016-03-02)
Weaver Wednesday [68]: Bocage's Weaver (2013-10-02)
First PHOWN record for Bocage's Weaver (2012-05-16)