Grosbeak Weaver
Grosbeak WeaverGrosbeak WeaverGrosbeak WeaverGrosbeak Weaver

Grosbeak Weaver

Amblyospiza albifrons

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
514 Verified sightings at iSimangaliso Wetland Park From 2019 to 2026
3,327 Verified sightings across all 38 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Grosbeak Weaver

The thick-billed weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons), or grosbeak weaver, is a distinctive and bold species of weaver bird that is native to the Afrotropics. It belongs to the monotypic genus Amblyospiza and subfamily Amblyospizinae.

They have particularly strong mandibles, which are employed to extricate the seeds in nutlets and drupes, and their songs are comparatively unmusical and harsh. Their colonial nests are readily distinguishable from those of other weavers, due to their form and placement, and the fine strands used in their construction.

They habitually fan and flick their tails. The generic name Amblyospiza was coined by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1850 and means "blunt, finch", referencing the very large bill, while the specific name albifrons refers white forehead of the males. The thick-billed weaver was formally described as Pyrrhula albifrons in 1831 by the Irish zoologist and politician Nicholas Aylward Vigors from the collection of Henry Ellis, the specimens of which were attributed to Algoa Bay and environs in the Eastern Cape.

Ten subspecies are currently recognized: A. a. capitalba (Bonaparte, 1850) – discontinuously from... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Dark-backed Weaver
LC

Dark-backed Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus bicolor

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
African Golden-Weaver
LC

African Golden-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus subaureus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Spectacled Weaver
LC

Spectacled Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus ocularis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Fan-tailed Widowbird
LC

Fan-tailed Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes axillaris

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Southern Brown-throated Weaver
LC

Southern Brown-throated Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus xanthopterus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Village Weaver
LC

Village Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus cucullatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Lesser Masked-Weaver
LC

Lesser Masked-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus intermedius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red Bishop
LC

Red Bishop

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes orix

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Southern Masked Weaver
LC

Southern Masked Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus velatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-billed Quelea
LC

Red-billed Quelea

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quelea quelea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Holub's Golden-Weaver
LC

Holub's Golden-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus xanthops

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cape Weaver
LC

Cape Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus capensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
2 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
3 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
4 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
5 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
6 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
7 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
8 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%
9 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
10 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
11 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
12 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
13 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
14 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
15 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
16 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
17 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
18 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
19 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
20 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
21 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
22 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
23 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
24 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
25 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
26 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
27 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
28 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
29 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
30 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
31 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
32 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
33 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
34 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
35 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
36 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
37 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
38 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Grosbeak Weaver in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Grosbeak Weaver sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 514 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Grosbeak Weaver in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Grosbeak Weaver in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

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