Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sociable Weaver

Philetairus socius (Latham, 1790)

14 cmLength27 gWeight

The sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) is a species of bird in the weaver family, endemic to Southern Africa.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa

Sociable Weaver has been recorded at 12 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia552 records
  2. Benfontein NRSouth Africa204 records
  3. Augrabies Falls NPSouth Africa82 records
More places
  1. Etosha NP – Halali CampNamibia32 records
  2. Namibgrens Guest FarmNamibia28 records
  3. Etosha NP – Namutoni CampNamibia13 records
  4. Spitzkoppe Nature ReserveNamibia7 records
  5. Ondudu LodgeNamibia6 records
  6. Okonjima Nature ReserveNamibia3 records
  7. Waterberg ResortNamibia3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

NamibiaSouth Africa

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 sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) is a species of bird in the weaver family, endemic to Southern Africa. It is the only species in its genus Philetairus. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, but its range is centered within the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Sociable Weaver?

The Sociable Weaver is about 14 cm long and weighs around 27 g.

Where does the Sociable Weaver live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Namibia to Botswana and South Africa. It is most often recorded in Namibia and South Africa.

When is the best time to see the Sociable Weaver?

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

Is the Sociable Weaver endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sociable Weaver as Least Concern.

What does the Sociable Weaver eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Sociable Weaver in?

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

At a glance

Length
14 cm
Weight
27 g
Habitat
Desert
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
72 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
17 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Africa: Namibia to Botswana and South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Weavers, Widowbirds Ploceidae
Genus
Philetairus

More from the family Weavers, Widowbirds

White-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 ruficaudaGrey-capped Social WeaverGrey-capped Social WeaverPseudonigrita arnaudiBlack-capped Social WeaverBlack-capped Social WeaverPseudonigrita cabanisi
Sociable Weaver

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

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