Introduction

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

Jackson arrived in Kenya in December 1884, where he undertook several hunting and collecting trips. In mid 1886 he decided to go to Kilimanjaro for a few months to hunt and collect specimens. While based near Mount Kilimanjaro a new species was brought to him, which was sent to England where Shelley described it as the Golden-backed Weaver.

Jackson wrote the following about how he obtained the specimen: "Little credit is due to me for having brought this new species to light, as the specimen was brought to me by a little Taveita boy, tied by the legs along with several others of the common yellow species, and was the only one that I kept, as all the rest had had their tails pulled out."

The first illustration of the Golden-backed Weaver was of the male type specimen, published by Shelley (1888). The next illustrations to be published were 6 decades later: colour paintings of the male and female in Mackworth (1955).

Scientific citation

Meaning of names

First English name

Alternate names

Collector

Date collected

Locality collected

Type specimens

The female and non-breeding male Golden-backed Weaver are olive above and yellow below, with a reddish eye. Some interesting photos of these birds in moult may be seen here.

Distribution. The Golden-backed Weaver is found in Uganda, SE Burundi, W Kenya, and in N, E and central Tanzania; it is rare in South Sudan (see map right, based on Birds of Africa). No subspecies are recognised.

The Golden-backed Weaver has been introduced to the United Arab Emirates (since 1992), and Singapore (since at least 2011), probably due to escaped cage birds in each country.

Habitat. The Golden-backed Weaver inhabits mainly wetland areas like swamp, ambatch, reeds, papyrus, and along rivers, but also moves into acacia scrub and woodland. It shows irregular irruptive movements in response to heavy rainfall.

Food. The diet of the Golden-backed Weaver consists of seeds, and probably insects.

Breeding. The Golden-backed Weaver is polygynous and colonial, often nesting alongside other weavers. Its nest is oval, compact, woven of strips torn from grass or palm leaves, lined with grass tops and some feathers. There is no entrance tunnel. It is built over water in papyrus or reeds; also in acacia trees, ambatch bushes and in maize fields. The song at its colony includes a variety of harsh notes. 2-3 eggs are laid, which are blue, with purple-brown or dark red spots. There are several records of brood parasitism by the Diederik Cuckoo. The Swamp Flycatcher uses old nests of this weaver to nest in.