Weaver species category

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Weavers nesting in acacias

Many weavers choose acacia trees to breed in. Acacias outside of Australia are usually thorny bushes or trees - these thorny twigs may help support the nest of sparrow weavers and buffalo weavers, and the thorns may provide some protection against predators for all the weavers listed below. Many of the weavers that nest in acacias are typical savanna species, where the acacia provides a nesting site, the savanna grass and tree leaves may be used as nest material, and the grass seed in the savanna and insects in the acacias provide food for the weavers. Some weavers, especially Southern Masked Weaver, also use exotic acacias (like Australian wattles) to nest in. An increase in weavers nesting in acacias could be due to an increase in acacias which may indicate bush encroachment.

The list below shows weavers that often like to build their nests in acacias. Several weavers do not normally breed in acacias but there are single, or a few, records of this nest site, eg. Black-winged Bishop Euplectes hordeaceus, Golden-backed Weaver Ploceus jacksoni, Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus, and Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor. The Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops may breed in acacias along rivers.

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Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver nests in acacia tree
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Scaly-feathered Finch nest in acacia bush

Weavers that regularly nest in acacias:


White-billed Buffalo-Weaver  Bubalornis albirostris
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver  Bubalornis niger
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver  Dinemellia dinemelli
White-browed Sparrow-weaver  Plocepasser mahali
Rufous-tailed Weaver  Histurgops ruficauda
Scaly-feathered Finch  Sporopipes squamifrons
Speckle-fronted Weaver  Sporopipes frontalis
Black-capped Social-weaver  Pseudonigrita cabanisi
Grey-headed Social-weaver  Pseudonigrita arnaudi
Sociable Weaver  Philetairus socius
Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea
Chestnut Weaver  Ploceus rubiginosus
Lesser Masked Weaver  Ploceus intermedius
Heuglin's Masked Weaver  Ploceus heuglini
Cape Weaver  Ploceus capensis
Southern Masked Weaver  Ploceus velatus
Village Weaver  Ploceus cucullatus
Vieillot's Black Weaver  Ploceus nigerrimus
Baya Weaver  Ploceus philippinus
Black-breasted Weaver  Ploceus benghalensis
Little Weaver  Ploceus luteolus
Ruppell's Weaver  Ploceus galbula
Vitelline Masked Weaver  Ploceus vitellinus
Speke's Weaver  Ploceus spekei
Spectacled Weaver  Ploceus ocularis
Bertram's Weaver  Ploceus bertrandi
Baglafecht Weaver  Ploceus baglafecht
Red-headed Weaver  Anaplectes rubriceps