Ploceus spekei
The Speke's Weaver (Ploceus spekei) is a vibrant and highly gregarious passerine bird, a quintessential member of the weaver family known for its architectural prowess. Males are strikingly adorned in brilliant yellow plumage, punctuated by a distinctive black face mask extending from the forehead to the throat, a chestnut nape, and piercing red eyes. Females, by contrast, are considerably duller, appearing greenish-streaked above with pale underparts, showcasing strong sexual dimorphism. The...
Found in open country, acacia savanna, grasslands, and increasingly in cultivated areas, villages, and towns, often at elevations up to 2,000 meters.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on grass seeds and cereal grains, supplemented with a variety of insects (beetles, caterpillars, termites) and occasionally nectar.
Speke's Weavers are diurnal and highly social, often forming large, noisy colonies and foraging in mixed-species flocks. Males are master architects, constructing multiple intricate, retort-shaped 'display nests' from grass strips to attract mates, fiercely defending a small territory around thei...
The Speke's Weaver is endemic to East Africa, inhabiting a relatively restricted but densely populated range encompassing parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and northern Tanzania. They are a resident species throughout their distribution, exhibiting no significant migratory patterns or seasonal m...
Least Concern
- The Speke's Weaver was named after British explorer John Hanning Speke, who was instrumental in the search for the source of the Nile River. - A single male weaver can construct multiple incomplete 'display nests' in a breeding season to entice several potential mates. - Their nests are archite...