White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Plocepasser mahali Smith, A, 1836

17–19 cmLength42 gWeight

The white-browed sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali) is a predominantly brown, sparrow-sized bird found throughout central and north-central southern Africa.

Most records: Kenya, Namibia, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver has been recorded at 236 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,069 records
  2. Buffalo Springs NRKenya789 records
  3. Samburu NRKenya777 records
More places
  1. Avis DamNamibia748 records
  2. Amboseli NPKenya650 records
  3. Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia554 records
  4. Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa519 records
  5. Ondudu LodgeNamibia514 records
  6. Lake BaringoKenya438 records
  7. Lake Baringo – West ShoreKenya426 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaNamibiaSouth AfricaEthiopiaZimbabweZambiaTanzaniaBotswana

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 white-browed sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali) is a predominantly brown, sparrow-sized bird found throughout central and north-central southern Africa. It is found in groups of two to eleven individuals consisting of one breeding pair and other non-reproductive individuals.

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

Questions

How big is the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver?

The White-browed Sparrow-Weaver is about 17–19 cm long and weighs around 42 g.

Where does the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern, southern. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Namibia and South Africa.

Is the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver as Least Concern.

What does the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver in?

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

At a glance

Length
17–19 cm
Weight
42 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
97 mm
Tail
61 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

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

Range

Africa: eastern, southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Weavers, Widowbirds Ploceidae
Genus
Plocepasser

Other birds in the genus Plocepasser

Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-WeaverChestnut-crowned Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser superciliosusDonaldson Smith's Sparrow-WeaverDonaldson Smith's Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser donaldsoniChestnut-backed Sparrow-WeaverChestnut-backed Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser rufoscapulatusWhite-billed Buffalo WeaverWhite-billed Buffalo WeaverBubalornis albirostrisRed-billed Buffalo WeaverRed-billed Buffalo WeaverBubalornis nigerWhite-headed Buffalo WeaverWhite-headed Buffalo WeaverDinemellia dinemelliRufous-tailed WeaverRufous-tailed WeaverHisturgops ruficaudaGrey-capped Social WeaverGrey-capped Social WeaverPseudonigrita arnaudiBlack-capped Social WeaverBlack-capped Social WeaverPseudonigrita cabanisiSociable WeaverSociable WeaverPhiletairus socius
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

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

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