Speckle-fronted Weaver distribution, type locality circled
Introduction
The Speckle-fronted Weaver was formally described by Francois Marie Daudin, a young French zoologist. Daudin wrote Traite elementaire et complet d'Ornithologie (Complete and Elementary Treatise of Ornithology) in 1799-1800, being one of the first modern handbooks of ornithology. Daudin combined Linnean binomial names and good descriptions of the birds. He did not complete his book, as he died before the age of 30.
Daudin described the species, based on two individuals in private aviaries in Paris. He noted the origin of the birds as Senegal.
The first illustration was provided by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist. Vieillot was interested in living birds, and wrote about the difficulties of keeping Speckle-fronted Weavers in captivity, in addition to a description of the birds.
Type specimen not traced (it may be in the Paris museum); the illustration of Vieillot 1805 serves as a type.
All news items relating to this species
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