Grosbeak Weaver
Grosbeak WeaverGrosbeak WeaverGrosbeak WeaverGrosbeak Weaver

Grosbeak Weaver

Amblyospiza albifrons

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Masai Mara National Reserve
34 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
3,327 Verified sightings across all 38 parks From 2019 to 2026
March 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 Masai Mara National Reserve

Village Weaver
LC

Village Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus cucullatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Yellow-rumped Widowbird
LC

Yellow-rumped Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes capensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Yellow-shouldered Widowbird
LC

Yellow-shouldered Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes macroura

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Speckle-fronted Weaver
LC

Speckle-fronted Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sporopipes frontalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Fan-tailed Widowbird
LC

Fan-tailed Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes axillaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Spectacled Weaver
LC

Spectacled Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus ocularis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Jackson's Widowbird
LC

Jackson's Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes jacksoni

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
LC

White-headed Buffalo-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dinemellia dinemelli

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Baglafecht Weaver
LC

Baglafecht Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus baglafecht

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-collared Widowbird
LC

Red-collared Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes ardens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-headed Weaver
LC

Red-headed Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anaplectes rubriceps

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
White-winged Widowbird
LC

White-winged Widowbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Euplectes albonotatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

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 Masai Mara National Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Grosbeak Weaver sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Grosbeak Weaver in Masai Mara National Reserve?

March has the highest sighting rate for Grosbeak Weaver in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.

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