Holub's Golden Weaver adult, figure from Reichenow (1886) (Sakalava Weaver in front)
Holub's Golden Weaver variation in eggs (circled) figure from Swynnerton (1916)
Holub's Golden Weaver distribution, type locality circled
Introduction
Holub's Golden Weaver was formally described by Karel Johan Gustav Hartlaub, a German physician and ornithologist.
Holub's Golden Weaver had been collected by Joachim John Monteiro, a Portuguese engineer and ornithologist. Hartlaub described several birds that Monteiro collected in Angola in 1861, but no localities were provided. A century later, hall collected birds in Angola and in studying variation in plumage and size in Holub's Golden Weaver, restricted the type locality to the lower Cuanza River in northern Angola.
Over the next few years, many Holub's Golden Weaver specimens were collected in Angola and Western Africa. It was only 20 years after its discovery, that it was also found in southern Africa (in Botswana).
The first illustration of the Holub's Golden Weaver was of a male, published by Reichenow (1886). The next illustrations pertaining to Holub's Golden Weaver were by Swynnerton (1916), showing the mouth parts of chicks and also the variation in egg colour of the eggs.
Scientific citation
Hyphantornis xanthops Hartlaub 1862 Ibis, p.342 Angola. Restricted to "Lower Cuanza River" by Hall (1960, Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 6, p.447).
Meaning of names
xanthops Greek: xanthos, yellow; ops, the face or appearance.
First English name
Golden-faced Weaver Bird (Layard 1884).
Alternate names
African Golden Weaver, Camburn's Golden Weaver, Golden Weaver, Hartlaub's Golden Weaver, Jameson's Golden Weaver, Large Golden Weaver, Mashona Larger Golden Weaver, Olive-backed Weaver.
Collector
Joachim J Monteiro.
Date collected
1861.
Locality collected
Angola = lower Cuanza River.
Type specimens
The type specimen was in the British Museum (BM 1873.12.10.4).
Weaver Watch
