Black-capped Social Weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanisi)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-capped Social Weaver

Pseudonigrita cabanisi (Fischer, GA & Reichenow, 1884)

13 cmLength21 gWeight

The black-capped social weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanisi) is a sparrow-like species of bird that has been assigned to the weaverbird family.

Busiest months: April and November · Most records: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-capped Social Weaver has been recorded at 27 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Samburu NRKenya588 records
  2. Buffalo Springs NRKenya183 records
  3. Mpala Ranch and Research CentreKenya153 records
More places
  1. Shaba NRKenya142 records
  2. Buffalo Springs NR / Samburu NRKenya116 records
  3. Tsavo West NPKenya106 records
  4. Yabello areaEthiopia50 records
  5. Tsavo West NP – Kilaguni LodgeKenya38 records
  6. Tsavo East NPKenya34 records
  7. Tsavo East NP – Southern SectionKenya31 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaEthiopiaTanzania

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-capped social weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanisi) is a sparrow-like species of bird that has been assigned to the weaverbird family. It was originally described by Fisher and Reichenow, and later re-classified by the latter to the genus Pseudonigrita. Adults have a large black cap, ivory-colored bill, red eyes, brown back and wings, blackish-brown tail, white throat and underparts with a black midline, and dark horn-colored legs.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-capped Social Weaver?

The Black-capped Social Weaver is about 13 cm long and weighs around 21 g.

Where does the Black-capped Social Weaver live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to northeastern Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Black-capped Social Weaver?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-capped Social Weaver endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-capped Social Weaver as Least Concern.

What does the Black-capped Social Weaver eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Black-capped Social Weaver in?

It belongs to the family Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
13 cm
Weight
21 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
66 mm
Tail
49 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to northeastern Tanzania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Weavers, Widowbirds Ploceidae
Genus
Pseudonigrita

Other birds in the genus Pseudonigrita

Grey-capped Social WeaverGrey-capped Social WeaverPseudonigrita arnaudiWhite-billed Buffalo WeaverWhite-billed Buffalo WeaverBubalornis albirostrisRed-billed Buffalo WeaverRed-billed Buffalo WeaverBubalornis nigerWhite-headed Buffalo WeaverWhite-headed Buffalo WeaverDinemellia dinemelliWhite-browed Sparrow-WeaverWhite-browed Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser mahaliChestnut-crowned Sparrow-WeaverChestnut-crowned Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser superciliosusDonaldson Smith's Sparrow-WeaverDonaldson Smith's Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser donaldsoniChestnut-backed Sparrow-WeaverChestnut-backed Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser rufoscapulatusRufous-tailed WeaverRufous-tailed WeaverHisturgops ruficaudaSociable WeaverSociable WeaverPhiletairus socius
Black-capped Social Weaver

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Steve Garvie. ↗

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