Plocepasser rufoscapulatus
The Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser rufoscapulatus) is a striking passerine bird, characterized by its medium size, typically measuring around 17 cm (6.7 inches) in length and weighing 40-57 grams. Its most distinctive feature is the rich chestnut coloration on its back and rump, contrasting sharply with a pale grey head, a faint white supercilium, and clean white underparts. The wings are dark with a prominent white patch on the primary coverts, visible both at rest and in flight...
This species primarily inhabits arid to semi-arid woodlands, savannas, and acacia bushveld, often found near water sources. It thrives in low to mid-elevation areas, generally below 1,500 meters.
Their diet is omnivorous, primarily consisting of insects such as ants, termites, beetles, and caterpillars, supplemented by seeds from grasses and acacia, and occasionally small fruits or nectar.
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers are highly social, diurnal birds, living in cohesive groups of 2-10 individuals, often 4-6, which forage and roost together. Foraging typically occurs on the ground, where they glean insects and seeds, but they also search for food in vegetation. These groups are f...
The Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver is resident across a broad swathe of central and southern Africa. Its breeding range extends through Angola, Botswana, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, northern and eastern Namibia, northeastern South Africa, southern and western Ta...
Least Concern
- Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weavers are cooperative breeders, meaning multiple birds, including non-breeding helpers, assist the dominant pair in raising young. - They construct impressively large, untidy, and complex nests, which can have several entrance holes. - These nests are not just for bree...