Introduction

Shelley had 2 specimens of the Compact Weaver. An adult female specimen was donated to Sharpe's collection by entomologist William Wilson Saunders, and this specimen is now in the British Museum. The second specimen was a non-breeding bird collected in Accra, by Shelley who visited Ghana from mid January to March 1872 to collect birds.

The first illustration of the Compact Weaver was published in Sharpe (1890) of the two type specimens, a non-breeding adult and a female. The next illustration relating to this species was a photo of its nest published in Chapin (1917). The breeding male was first illustrated by Bannerman (1949).

Scientific citation

Meaning of names

First English name

Alternate names

Collector

Date collected

Locality collected

Type specimens

Origin of name "Compact Weaver" (8 Feb 2016)

The genus gives the most likely clue. Pachyphantes was introduced by Shelley (1896), without description, and this name means: (Greek) pakhus, thick; huphantes, a weaver. So when Shelly gave English names to African birds in 1905, he must have translated Pachyphantes to thick weaver, or rather Compact Weaver.

The nest of this species was not known to Shelley in 1905, so the English name would not have referred to the "compact"-like nest of this bird.

The Compact Weaver is stocky and short-tailed, with a heavy bill. The male has a yellow crown (figure above left) and its dark green upperparts distinguish it from other 'masked' weavers. The female has the top of the head dark (figure above right), separated from the mask by a broad yellow stripe.

Non-breeding adults are brownish. A dull coloured female moulting into bright plumage is unique in the Ploceidae family.

Distribution. The Compact Weaver is found in widely disjoint populations across West Africa from Senegal as far east as Ethiopia and western Kenya, and south to northern Angola (with one record from Zambia). It has no subspecies.

Habitat. The Compact Weaver occurs singly, in pairs, or in small groups. It is found in grassland or grassy savanna while breeding, and more wooded areas the rest of the year. It also occurs in thickets, scattered bush, forest edges, forest clearings, and coffee plantations.

Food. The Compact Weaver feeds on grass seeds and arthropods. The following have been recorded: insects, spiders, caterpillars, seeds and berries. In Ivory Coast, its diet was estimated at roughly 90% seeds and 10% arthropods.

Breeding. The Compact Weaver is monogamous. Its nest is distinctive, with a side entrance, being similar to that of the Thick-billed Weaver. The nest is attached to tall grass stems. This species is not generally colonial and pairs occupy a territory with one nest, but sometimes the male builds a second roosting nest nearby. The male probably narrows the entrance of breeding nests but little has been published about nest building in this species.

3-4 eggs are laid. The eggs are plain blue-grey, or they are white, grey or pale bluish-green with fine brown stipples and smears. Nothing more is known about its breeding ecology.