Grey-capped Social Weaver

Overview

The grey-capped social weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi) is a small, sparrow-like bird in the weaver family that lives in the arid regions of East and Central Africa. It is characterised by its colonial nesting habits and near-identical plumage between males and females.

Identification

• Liver-coloured body with a distinct pale grey crown that is nearly white in adult males.
• Small size, measuring 11–12 cm in length, with a dark grey bill and horn-coloured legs.
• Wings show some black markings and the short tail features a light terminal band visible in flight.
• Song consists of long series of seven to ten high-pitched piercing squeaks, resembling a repetitive 'tseeer-tseeer-tseeer'.

Habitat

Found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The species breeds in colonies within thorny Acacia trees, including Vachellia drepanolobium and umbrella thorn acacia, across arid environments.

Diet

Feeds in groups at some distance from the colony on grass seeds and insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, termites, and caterpillars. Nestlings are initially fed exclusively on insects before grass seeds are introduced towards the end of the fledging period.

Did you know?

In some areas, fully grown birds rest in their nests year-round, even outside the breeding period, often sleeping in groups of two to five to mitigate the cold of arid nights.