Weaver identification, ageing & sexing
Papers from Safring News
General
Oschadleus HD. 2011. Iris colours in ageing and sexing South African Ploceus weavers. Afring News 40:7-12 (821 kB)
Oschadleus HD. 2013. Identifying wetland warblers and weavers in Cape Town. Afring News 42: 1-4 (479 kB)
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Safring News 12 p3 sexing (725 kb)
Cape Weaver
Safring News 2(1) p22 identification, ageing & sexing (276 kb)
Safring News 2_25 identification, ageing & sexing – errata
Safring News 15 p63 identification, ageing & sexing (261 kb) – reprint
Safring News 16 45 caution
Southern Brown-throated Weaver
Safring News 24:51-52 identification, ageing & sexing (463 kb)
Bertram’s Weaver
Safring News 13 p77 ageing & sexing (144 kb)
Thick-billed Weaver
Safring News 13 p79 ageing & sexing(498 kb)
Safring News 14 p43 plumage aberrations (498 kb)
Safring News 14 p45 plumage aberrations (498 kb)
Southern Red Bishop
Safring News 2(2) p22 identification, ageing & sexing (531 kb)
Yellow Bishop
Safring News 2(2) p22 identification, ageing & sexing (531 kb)
‘Golden’ weavers in East Africa
News item photos and map for Golden Palm Weaver, Taveta Golden Weaver, Eastern Golden Weaver
ID news items
Ageing Dark-backed Weaver
from news 840 (see photos here)
Dark-backed Weaver males and females are alike. Juveniles are similar to adults, but there are some features that help separate juveniles from adults. Juveniles have:
- pale gape flanges
- a paler bill (with a yellow tinge in above above, compared to bluish-grey in adult)
- mottled or pale throat
- darker brown eye
Dark-backed Weavers show some subspecific plumage variation across their range in Africa, see map and brief subspecies notes at species page. Biometrics also vary across its range, but not in any obvious pattern. Less than 400 Dark-backed Weavers have been ringed in South Africa, the lowest species total for any South African weaver species.
