Village Weaver

Ploceus cucullatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyPloceidae (Weavers and Allies)
GenusPloceus (Typical Weavers)
SpeciesPloceus cucullatus (Village Weaver)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

2 Verified sightings at Golden Gate Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

9,548 Verified sightings across all 49 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Village Weaver

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 bird species 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.

This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open 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.

Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller provided the first scientific name, Oriolus... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Ploceus capensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Ploceus velatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Euplectes orix

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Euplectes capensis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Euplectes progne

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Euplectes ardens

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Quelea quelea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Euplectes axillaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Euplectes afer

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Lamprotornis bicolor

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Onychognathus morio

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Saxicola torquatus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~50%
2	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
3	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
4	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
5	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~30%
6	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
7	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
8	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
9	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
10	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~20%
11	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
12	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~20%
13	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
14	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~20%
15	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
16	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
17	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
18	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~20%
19	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
20	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
21	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
22	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
23	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
24	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
25	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
26	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~10%
27	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
28	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
29	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
30	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
31	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
32	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
33	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
34	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
35	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
36	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
37	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
38	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
39	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
40	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
41	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
42	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
43	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
44	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
45	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
46	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
47	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
48	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
49	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	Insufficient data

← Back to Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Village Weaver

About the Village Weaver

Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Cape Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver

Red Bishop

Yellow-rumped Widowbird

Long-tailed Widow-bird

Red-collared Widowbird

Red-billed Quelea

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Yellow-crowned Bishop

Pied Starling

Red-winged Starling

African Stonechat

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found