Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches, or bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classifications, the Ploceidae are a clade that excludes some birds that have historically been placed in the family, such as some of the sparrows, but which includes the monotypic subfamily Amblyospizinae. The family is believed to have originated in the mid-Miocene. All birds of the Ploceidae are native to the Old World, most in Africa south of the Sahara, though a few live in tropical areas of Asia. A few species have been introduced outside their native range.
The thick-billed weaver, 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.
The golden-naped weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The baglafecht weaver is a species of weaver bird from the family Ploceidae which is found in eastern and central Africa. There are several disjunct populations with distinguishable plumage patterns. Only some races display a discrete non-breeding plumage.
The dark-backed weaver, also known as the forest weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The northern brown-throated weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Uganda, Rwanda and adjacent northern Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Kenya and northwestern Tanzania.
The yellow-capped weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.
The yellow-legged weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The brown-capped weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The Katanga masked weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Zambia.
Vieillot's black weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in southern Nigeria to Uganda, west Kenya, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The common name is after the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.
The black-chinned weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae.
Preuss's weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae, which is native to the African tropics.
The Sakalava weaver sometimes known as the Sakalava fody is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The bird is 15 cm (5.9 in) long and weighs 20–28 g (0.71–0.99 oz).
The Loango weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The northern masked weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. All recent sightings in East Africa have been on the shores of Lake Baringo, Kenya.
Bocage's weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in riparian zones of Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northwestern Zambia.
The cardinal quelea is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The red-headed quelea is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
