Weaver news

Cooperatively breeding weavers

2014-08-07 (548)


There are 19 species of weavers that are thought to be cooperative breeders. For some species, this has been well studied, eg. White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Grey-headed Social-weaver and Sociable Weaver. In these species the young of previous broods help the adults with feeding chicks. Several malimbes cooperate in nest building with adults and young helping.

Weavers that are cooperative breeders:
White-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis albirostris
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli
White-browed Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser mahali
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser superciliosus
Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser donaldsoni
Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser rufoscapulatus
Rufous-tailed Weaver Histurgops ruficauda
Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons
Speckle-fronted Weaver Sporopipes frontalis
Black-capped Social-weaver Pseudonigrita cabanisi
Grey-headed Social-weaver Pseudonigrita arnaudi
Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius
Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni
Cassin's Malimbe Malimbus cassini
Red-crowned Malimbe Malimbus coronatus
Red-bellied Malimbe Malimbus erythrogaster
Rachel's Malimbe Malimbus racheliae
Red-vented Malimbe Malimbus scutatus