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Weaver Wednesday 4 [269] - Weaver themes [6]: Genus Quelea

2017-08-09 (794)

gravit8 Weaver Wednesday 4: Weaver themes (Series)

Genus Quelea

There are 3 quelea species. They are small, short tailed, sexually dimorphic weavers with short conical bills. They have yellow edges to the wing feathers rather than buff as in most Euplectes species. Queleas are also unstreaked below, unlike non-breeding or female Euplectes species. Females are dull, while breeding males have red heads (2 species) or a mask (usually black, sometimes white).

Queleas occur in moist to arid grassland. All species are highly gregarious, being major granivorous pests on small grain crops, particularly in the case of the Red-billed Quelea. They are nomadic or migratory in most regions.

Queleas are colonial, and build small nests with the entrance near the top at the side.

Links to species texts for the quelea:
Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
Red-headed Quelea Quelea erythrops
Cardinal Quelea Quelea cardinalis

Red-billed Quelea
Red-billed Quelea male
Cardinal Quelea
Cardinal Quelea male & female
Red-headed Quelea
Red-headed Quelea male

Table: comparison of quelea information, from: Oschadleus HD. 2001. Bibliography of the African quelea species. Cape Town: Research Report of the Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town.

Quelea table