The weavers in these 2 genera are brownish birds, found in savanna. The sexes are similar in all 3 species. They are all seed-eaters, and build nests of dry grass.
The Rufous-tailed Weaver is a medium-sized weaver of the East African savanna. It has a pale eye, mottled brown plumage with rufous rump and tail. Breeding. The Rufous-tailed Weaver is monogamous, but colonial. The nest is a ball of grass, not woven, with an entrance spout, and placed in trees.
The genus Sporopipes has 2 species that are very small, social weavers of semi-arid to arid country. The head plumage has dark feathers with pale margins, and moustachial stripes. The nape colour is distinct - chestnut in the Speckle-fronted Weaver, and brown in the Scaly-feathered Finch.
Breeding. The nest is a bundle of straight grass stems, not woven. The nest is occupied by a single breeding pair, but may be used by groups for roosting in the non-breeding season. Some courtship behaviour (bill-clicking, carrying nesting material) shows parallels to the Estrildidae family (waxbills and finches).
The ranges of the 2 Sporopipes species do not overlap, but the range of the Speckle-fronted Weaver does overlap with that of the Rufous-tailed Weaver (in Tanzania).
Weaver Watch
