Weaver Wednesday 3 [240] - Range changes [3]: Sociable Weaver

Weaver Wednesday 3: range changes in S Africa (species text)

Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius

Range changes in SA

Areas with very large increases include:
1. the Springbok area,
2. the area north of the Carnarvon to Britstown road,
3. near Barkley West (this is on the southern edge of the Ghaap plateau),
4. and the northernmost part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Large decreases appear to have occurred:
5. along the lower Orange River,
6. in the area from Augrabies Falls National Park to Kakamas,
7. and the area south of Christiana.

8. Absent on the Ghaap plateau:
There is a large gap in range of the Sociable Weaver around the Ghaap plateau, between Danielskuil and Vryburg. The weaver appears to have been absent from here for at least 100 years. There are new records (SABAP2) in the southern part of this gap (point 3), indicating that the Sociable Weaver may be colonising this area northwards.

Range changes elsewhere