Introduction

The Brown-capped Weaver was collected by Frederick John Jackson, an English administrator, explorer and ornithologist.

In 1889 Jackson led an expedition designed to open up the regions between Mombasa and Lake Victoria, which was largely unknown to Europeans at that time, and if possible to obtain news of Emin Pasha. He travelled to Lake Victoria and then went north and east to travel around the lake to Mt Elgon. Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, and the mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located within the country of Uganda.

Jackson went further north past Mt Elgon on the eastern (Kenyan) side but had to return when he encountered hostile tribes. He used the opportunity to climb Mt Elgon (from the north side) and collect new bird species. He reached the crater at the top on 17 Feb 1890, and camped there for the night. While on the slopes of Mt Elgon, he collected the female of the Brown-capped Weaver.

The collection was sent to Sharpe, who wrote up several new species. He named this weaver "insignis" (ie notable) as the plain yellow back was unlike the back colour of any other weaver he knew.

The first illustration of the Brown-capped Weaver was the female type specimen, published by Sharpe (1891). The next illustration was of an adult male in Sjostedt (1895), considered to be a new species at the time.

Scientific citation

Meaning of names

First English name

Alternate names

Collector

Date collected

Locality collected

Type specimens

Identification. The Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis is one of the 'nuthatch' (bark-gleaning) weavers. The Brown-capped Weaver has a yellow body with plain black wings and tail. The male has a black face and throat with a chestnut crown and nape. The female has the entire head black. The similar Preuss's Weaver has a chestnut wash on the breast and its female has a yellow crown. The Yellow-capped Weaver differs from the Brown-capped Weaver in having a black rump.

Distribution. The Brown-capped Weaver occurs in scattered localities in West Africa from Nigeria to Angola. It also occurs along the Albertine Rift and in East Africa, especially western Kenya (see map left, based on Birds of Africa). Its distribution is very patchy, but is still widely distributed, but is uncommon in Angola and Gabon. Several subspecies of the Brown-capped Weaver have been described but are no longer recognised.

Habitat. The Brown-capped Weaver inhabits tall montane forest, a vulnerable habitat type. It also occurs in bamboo forest, secondary forests, gallery forest and coffee plantations. It is often found in areas with an open canopy and dense understorey vegetation.

Food. The Brown-capped Weaver feeds mainly on insects, such as caterpillars, and fruit. It moves at all levels in forests, hopping along boles and thicker lateral branches in the canopy. The The Brown-capped Weaver probes exposed bark and epiphytes with its bill. It feeds solitarily, in pairs, or in family parties of three or four individuals; it also joins mixed-species flocks.

Breeding. The Brown-capped Weaver is probably monogamous, and is a solitary nester. The male uses a short courtship song away from the nest, and also sings when the female enters the nest. The nest is retort-shaped, and may have a long entrance tube. The nest is attached to the underside of a branch or at the tip of a branch, often above a forest track or clearing. The clutch is 2 eggs, which are pale blue with a few brown spots.