Weaver species list / RELATED SPECIES: Baglafecht Weaver / Bannerman’s Weaver / Bertram’s Weaver / Giant Weaver / Orange Weaver / Principe Golden Weaver / Vieillot’s Black Weaver / Weyns’s Weaver
IUCN: Least concern Discovery: 028
Categories: black, acacias, fruit, waterbirds, nectar, pest, palm
SPLIT – Chestnut-and-black Weaver Ploceus castaneofuscus
(see AviList 2025)
Discovery
  
IntroductionThe Vieillot’s Black Weaver was formally described by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist. The birds had been collected by Jean Perrein, a French naturalist, who travelled in West Africa and other localities. Vieillot was interested in the habits of living birds, but Perrein did not seem to provide any field notes for the Vieillot’s Black Weaver, as he had done for the Crested Malimbe.Vieillot mentioned that this weaver had been collected at Congo et Caconga, one of three historic provinces in Cabinda, Angola. Perrein returned to France after a long stay in Cabinda, in about 1800. Perrein sent his specimens to Academy of Sciences in Bordeaux, France, from where the Vieillot’s Black Weaver type was probably moved to the Paris Museum. Many early authors referred to the Vieillot’s Black Weaver and more specimens of this common weaver were collected in West Africa, but it was only illustrated in 1888 for the first time. Bartlett (1888) illustrated both subspecies. Scientific citationPloceus nigerrimus Vieillot 1819 Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat., nouv. ed., 34:130 “Kingdom of Congo”, Cabinda. Meaning of namesnigerrimus Latin: very black (super. of niger, black). First English nameThe chestnut-fusous Weawer (Reichenbach 1863) [originally given as Black and chestnut Weaver-bird (Burton 1883)]. Alternate namesChestnut and Black Weaver, Vieillot’s Weaver. CollectorJean Perrein. Date collectedBefore 1800, when Perrein returned to France with his specimens. Locality collectedCongo et Caconga, ie. Cabinda, Angola. Type specimensType specimen is probably in the Paris Museum. |
The above is based on Weaver Wednesday 2, a weekly series about the discovery of each weaver species.
This species text first appeared as Weaver Wednesday [145] – Discovery [28]: Vieillot’s Black Weaver on 2015-03-25
1. Basic biology
   Identification. The Vieillot’s Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus is named after its black colour. The adult male is wholly black (nominate race, photo above) or black with chestnut back, rump and belly (P. n. castaneofuscus, photo above). The yellow eye distinguishes it from other black weavers – Maxwell’s Black Weaver has a whitish eye, and the female Cassin’s Malimbe has a dark eye. The female and juvenile Vieillot’s Black Weaver are olive with a little yellow on below and streaks on the back, and the eye is pale. Distribution. Two subspecies of the Vieillot’s Black Weaver are recognised (see map above, based on Birds of Africa):  Habitat. The Vieillot’s Black Weaver inhabits forest clearings, often in villages, wooded areas and high grass savannas, although not found in forest. Food. The Vieillot’s Black Weaver feeds on mainly insects (grasshoppers, winged ants, winged termites, caterpillars and butterflies); also seeds, fruit, berries and nectar. Birds move far from their colonies to forage in savanna and gallery forest. They regularly join mixed-species flocks of insectivores foraging in more open forest areas. Nigerian birds search areas where squirrels Funisciurus anerythrus have been feeding, and collect the outer fibrous layers of oil palm nuts which the squirrels discard. Breeding. The Vieillot’s Black Weaver is colonial (photo, from phown 4209), gregarious, territorial, and polygynous, with up to 5 females in a males’ territory. Breeding activity seems to coincide with rainfall.  Some females synchronise nesting, while others do not. It forms mixed colonies with Village Weavers and the 2 species sometimes hybridize. Village Weavers appear to select the site which is later joined by Vieillot’s Black Weavers. Vieillot’s Black Weavers do not respond to bursts of activity by Village Weavers in the same colony. To advertise to females, the male Vieillot’s Black Weaver hangs below his nest entrance, quivering his wings. The male Village Weaver has a similar display, but beats his wings rather than quivering them.Colonies occur in trees, reeds, bulrushes, papyrus (photo, from phown 871), or bamboos. There may be several nests in the territory of one male, which may be part of a colony of dozens or hundreds of nesting weavers.  The oval nest is similar to that of the Village Weaver but lacks the entrance spout. It is built by the male, taking about nine hours to complete. In general, building activity peaks before 11h00 and a colony is almost deserted from 12h00 to 15h00; activity resumes in the late afternoon.A particularly interesting PHOWN record is of a young python resting on the nest of a Vieillot’s Black Weaver (photo, from phown 2448). |
The above is based on Weaver Wednesday, a weekly series about weaver species.
This species text first appeared as Weaver Wednesday [27]: Vieillot’s Black Weaver on 2012-12-19
2. Breeding facts
| Pair bond Polygynous, with up to five females in one male territory Breeding season Nest site Nest building Colony size Clutch size Egg colour Egg size Incubation Chicks and nestling period |
Breeding information based on Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15.
3. Photos of Weaver Nests
 Vm 28365 |
 Vm 28245 |
 Vm 27827 |
 Vm 26364 |
 Vm 18153 |
 Vm 13818 |
Thumb-nails of recent PHOWN records