Grey-capped Social-Weaver

Pseudonigrita arnaudi

Other Pics: Social Weavers being Social!

Other Names

  Grey-headed Social-Weaver   Républicain d'Arnaud   Marmorspätzling         Tessitore testagrigia

World: Africa - found in the E frfom CE Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the southern areas o Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Kenya: Occurs W of 39°E in bush and open wooded habitats in dry regions below 1400m.

There are 2 races present in Kenya. P. a. arnaudi (the race pictured on these pages) and P. a. dorsalis which is found in the SW of the Mara. They can be easily distinguished as dorsalis has a very conspicuous grey patch on its back while arnaudi is a uniform grey-brown colour on its back. They are gregarious, ground feeders - although they will take advantage of bird tables as our second picture shows. They breed in dense colonies in thorn bushes (particularly ant-gall acacias). Non-breeding birds may help to feed the nestlings. The nests frequently have 2 entrance holes below which are kept open out of the breeding season when the nests are used as roosts. However the birds close off one of the holes at the start of the breeding season.