Grosbeak Weaver
Amblyospiza albifrons
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPloceidae (Weavers and Allies)
- GenusAmblyospiza (Grosbeak Weavers)
- SpeciesAmblyospiza albifrons (Grosbeak Weaver)
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 →
Recent sightings of Grosbeak Weaver in Lake Manyara National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Lake Manyara National Park
Black Bishop
Euplectes gierowii
Red-billed Quelea
Quelea quelea
Vitelline Masked-Weaver
Ploceus vitellinus
Lesser Masked-Weaver
Ploceus intermedius
Red Bishop
Euplectes orix
Baglafecht Weaver
Ploceus baglafecht
Black-winged Bishop
Euplectes hordeaceus
Chestnut Weaver
Ploceus rubiginosus
Spectacled Weaver
Ploceus ocularis
Village Weaver
Ploceus cucullatus
Speckle-fronted Weaver
Sporopipes frontalis
White-winged Widowbird
Euplectes albonotatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Grosbeak Weaver in Lake Manyara National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grosbeak Weaver sighting in Lake Manyara National Park, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Grosbeak Weaver in Lake Manyara National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Grosbeak Weaver in Lake Manyara National Park in our monthly data.