Fun Weaver Bird Facts For Kids

Social weavers belong to a small passerine bird family called weavers, weaver finches, weaverbirds, and bishops. Their name arose from the nests they meticulously create. Most social weaver birds are yellow, including some being red, brown or black. These birds possess blunt, cone-shaped beaks that enable them to feed on seeds and grain efficiently. Ploceidae is considered a clade in most recent analyses, neglecting some chronically placed birds in the family, namely the sparrows, that hold the monotypic subfamily Amblyospizinae. The family is assumed to have occurred in the mid-Miocene era. All ploceidae birds are inherent to the old world, mainly in South Africa and West Africa, although some exist in torrid regions of Asia.

Sociable weaver finches are widespread with many species, as a matter of fact they account for 64 individual species. Most sociable weavers are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, including two Madagascan and five Asian species. Here are some of the most interesting aspects about the sociable weaver birds for your perusal. Afterwards, do check out our other articles on red crowned crane facts and Malayan tapir facts as well.

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What type of animal is a weaver bird?

Sociable weavers comes under the family ploceidae and belong to the kingdom animalia. Red billed weavers are one of the many species of the sociable weavers and are native to South Africa and West Africa. These nesting birds weave huge apartment block types of nesting habitats from grass with multiple chambers, wherein the access to the core of the nest is through tunnels leading into the breeding chambers lined with sharp grass spikes. These tunnels can be around 10 in (25.4 cm) long and 3 in (7.62 cm) wide while breeding chambers lined with sharp grass spikes are around 6 in (15.24 cm) in diameter. Males of the colony work together in creating a large nesting structure on tree branches prepared from a variety of different material.

What class of animal does a weaver bird belong to?

The sociable weaver bird comes under the class aves belonging to the family ploceidae. Sociable weavers build their nests and maintain them throughout the year unlike many species who build their nest only during the breeding season. The baya weaver and other sociable weavers weave their nests in colonies which feature between 10-500 birds. Weavers nest resembles huge apartment blocks and as such can be recognized instantly as they are placed on branches and are prepared from plant materials for protection against extreme temperatures.

How many weaver bird are there in the world?

Sociable weavers are a bird species apart of the family ploceidae. There are different varieties of species of weaver birds. The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) acknowledges 117 species, out of which 64 are in genus Ploceus, and the remaining are classified amongst 14 separate genera.

Where does a weaver bird live?

Southern masked weaver species reside in various types of ecosystems in the intricately woven colony of nests. Some exist on the dry savannas and grasslands, and some on meadows, forests, rainforests, swamps, wetlands, mangroves, semi-arid areas, riparian areas present on the edges of streams, rivers, and ponds. Commonly weavers are seen in savannas, and some of these have been accustomed to surviving in fields and town regions, mainly the southern masked weaver. All sociable weaver birds reside in intricately woven colony of nests with large groups of other weavers. The main material of the nest is grass and twine.

What is a weaver bird's habitat?

Southern masked weavers have evolved over the years to adapt themselves to endure in various habitats. Some sociable weavers are known to exist in forests, especially the dark-backed weaver and Malimbes found in West Africa. Weavers live in the habitat, depending on their diet. Weavers are present in forests and woodlands primarily to dine on insects and spiders but also to feed on seeds. Weavers present in Savanna and grassland dine mainly on seeds of grasses, which naturally grow in this habitat.

Who do weaver bird live with?

There are several varieties of sociable weaver birds. Some species of weaver birds stay in nesting colonies and create hundreds of nesting structures collectively. The birds build numerous nests on the same branch and these structures may sometimes weigh down the entire tree. For instance, sociable weavers do not construct individual nests; instead, males join together to build a communal nest that can accommodate 400 birds. Another type of weaver bird called village weavers, also stays in large colonies in the same nest.

How long does a weaver bird live?

Red-billed quelea can live up to 10-15 years. The oldest sociable weaver in the forest was a village weaver that had a lifespan of nearly 14 years. If village weavers are held captive, these communal birds can live more than 24 years. In the forest, people could guess the age only by bird ringing to check how many birds return to capture them again or to find how many are dead?

How do they reproduce?

Both male and female red-billed quelea are polygamous weavers. Males are the primary weavers, whereas females are given a choice to pick their mating companion. When the male completes building the nest, it shall flutter its wings to let the females know that the nest building is over. The female shall select the nest based on the place, layout and relativistic convenience of the nest, assuring the healthy genetic condition for the baby's father beside a secured shelter for her eggs. A male usually creates multiple nests throughout the breeding season.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the red-billed quelea and other weaver birds is that of least concern. This implies that the population of various species like the white-headed buffalo weaver, red headed weaver, and sparrow weaver, is stable and the conservation is not a cause of concern.

What do weaver bird look like?

A white-headed buffalo weaver bird  from species socius possesses a strong, cone-shaped beak to cut the grass utilized in nest construction. Weavers feed on seeds with their conical beaks, though other weaver species own more thin beaks for biting insects. Their feathers are usually yellow, black and red; however, females own dull brown feathers. Female weavers that exist in the wild look similar to vibrant males.

How cute are they?

A weaver bird possesses yellow, black and red feathers, which makes them look adorable and radiant. These African birds are small, having a tiny beak, which makes them look even cute.

How do they communicate?

The harmonious tone of the species involves an intense loud shriek by a male when an unmated female comes into his nest for the first time and a very faint, brief tone produced by parent birds to encourage babies for fledgling. Males use slightly modified songs to secure regions for lovemaking and communication. The village weaver makes a continuous chuck-chuck sound while flying to support the flock to stay united and chirps eagerly to declare the food discovery.

How big is a weaver bird?

The size of these birds can extend up to 7 in (17.78 cm), depending upon the species. Usually, the size of a young weaver bird is almost similar to that of a sparrow. The wingspan range is around 10 in (25.4 cm).

How fast can a weaver bird fly?

There is no accurate report regarding their flying speed. It is estimated that they fly at a moderate pace but at a sign of a predator, the speed increases significantly.

How much does a weaver bird weigh?

The weight is estimated to be in the range of 0.8-1.13 oz (0.02-0.03 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male and female are known as male weaver bird and female weaver bird respectively.

What would you call a baby weaver bird ?

The young birds are usually termed as hatchlings, and little older ones are known as nestlings.

What do they eat?

Most weavers have seeds as their main food. Weavers, especially Baya weaver, sociable weaver do not hold any changes in beak dimension and form like other collections of birds, such as sunbirds or swimming birds. However, a slight variation in the length and thickness defines the seed size that the weaver preferably likes to eat. Some weavers, which feed predominantly on more insects than fruit seeds, typically possess a thin beak. Weavers provide their babies with insects because the newborns require the protein present in the insect.

Are they dangerous?

Weaver birds are not potentially dangerous wildlife creatures for humans. However, certain types have been known to cause damage to vegetation and crop fields. The red-billed quelea is a small weaver bird endemic to sub-Saharan Africa that strikes and attacks the grain crops in Africa. They are located everywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the forests and the southern point. They gather in enormous flocks that can destroy a broad strip of crops. They have proven to be an extensively harmful pest for humans. Farmers have adopted the method of burning the resting colonies using napalm to control the mass destruction of crops.

Would they make a good pet?

No, weavers typically are not suitable pets. Although there are different varieties of birds, all of these species are used to wildlife, and they are predominantly wild birds. Also, one should keep in mind that in many places, keeping this bird as a pet is not permitted, and is considered illegal.

Did you know...

Telephonic and electrical power corporations have struggled for years with the formation of telephonic poles and power wire structures, unable to withstand the nests' heaviness, particularly during the rainy season when the nest becomes soggy, soaked and so massive that they weigh down the upholding poles.

The only bird that has the capacity to tie the knot is a weaver bird.

The nests built by the sociable weaver are known to be the largest.

The red-billed quelea colonies are so large that it takes five hours to clear the area.

Does a female weaver bird make its nest?

No, female weavers do not build nests. Usually, males construct the nest with a wide range of plant materials. The female typically selects the nest to breed based on the place, temperature and condition of the nest.

How many birds live in a weaver bird nest?

There will be approximately 10-500 birds living in a nest.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these blue grouse facts and common gallinule facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our weaver bird coloring pages.