| Village weaver | |
|---|---|
_male_with_leaf.jpg)
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| Male, Kakum National Park, Ghana | |
_female.jpg)
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| Female, Gambia Both P. c. cucullatus | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Ploceidae |
| Genus: | Ploceus |
| Species: | P. cucullatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ploceus cucullatus (Müller, 1776)
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| Subspecies | |
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See text | |
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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The village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), also known as the spotted-backed weaver or black-headed weaver (the latter leading to easy confusion with P. melanocephalus), is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been introduced to Portugal and Venezuela as well as to the islands of Hispaniola, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Mauritius and Réunion.[1]
This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semiopen habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages, and hotel grounds. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward-facing entrance, which is suspended from a branch in a tree. Two or three eggs are laid. Village weavers are colonial breeders, so many nests may hang from one tree.
Village weavers feed principally on seeds and grain, and can be a crop pest, but readily take insects, especially when feeding young, which partially redresses the damage to agriculture. The calls of this bird include harsh buzzes and chattering.
- ^ a b BirdLife International. (2018). "Ploceus cucullatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22718921A132122615. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22718921A132122615.en. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Ploceus cucullatus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 February 2022.