Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-headed Weaver

Ploceus melanocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)

23 gWeight

The black-headed weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus), also known as yellow-backed weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae.

Busiest months: April–May and September–October · Most records: Uganda, Portugal, Spain

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May and September–October · Most records: Uganda, Portugal, Spain

Black-headed Weaver has been recorded at 226 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 31 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. PN Ria Formosa – Quinta do Lago – área geralPortugal1,758 records
  2. Brazo del Este PjeNat – ÁreaSpain1,259 records
  3. Parque Ambiental de VilamouraPortugal814 records
More places
  1. Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda529 records
  2. Paul da BarrocaPortugal460 records
  3. RN Paul do Boquilobo – área geralPortugal410 records
  4. Mabamba SwampUganda363 records
  5. Dehesa de AbajoSpain353 records
  6. Lagunas de Camino ColoradoSpain340 records
  7. Kisumu WaterfrontKenya305 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaPortugalSpainSenegalRwandaGambiaKenyaBurkina Faso

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-headed weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus), also known as yellow-backed weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is a resident breeder in damp areas in tropical Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Black-headed Weaver?

The Black-headed Weaver weighs around 23 g.

Where does the Black-headed Weaver live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, east-central. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Portugal and Spain.

When is the best time to see the Black-headed Weaver?

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

Is the Black-headed Weaver endangered?

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

What does the Black-headed Weaver eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Black-headed Weaver in?

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

At a glance

Weight
23 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
72 mm
Tail
47 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Africa: western, central, east-central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Weavers, Widowbirds Ploceidae
Genus
Ploceus

Other birds in the genus Ploceus

Baglafecht WeaverBaglafecht WeaverPloceus baglafechtBannerman's WeaverBannerman's WeaverPloceus bannermaniBates's WeaverBates's WeaverPloceus batesiBlack-chinned WeaverBlack-chinned WeaverPloceus nigrimentusBertram's WeaverBertram's WeaverPloceus bertrandiSlender-billed WeaverSlender-billed WeaverPloceus pelzelniLoango WeaverLoango WeaverPloceus subpersonatusLittle WeaverLittle WeaverPloceus luteolusSpectacled WeaverSpectacled WeaverPloceus ocularisOlive-naped WeaverOlive-naped WeaverPloceus brachypterusBlack-necked WeaverBlack-necked WeaverPloceus nigricollisStrange WeaverStrange WeaverPloceus alienus
Black-headed Weaver

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

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