Weaverbird

Weaverbird, general name for birds of a passerine family found mainly in Africa, with five species inhabiting Asia. The name reflects the structure of the birds' nests, woven of grasses and other plant materials. Many species are colonial, building dozens of nests in a single tree; many pairs of the sociable weaver of southern Africa nest in a single huge, cooperatively built structure with separate entrances. Males of the representative genus are mostly patterned in black and yellow, while females are inconspicuous, sparrowlike birds, colored in buff and brown. In the bishops the males are black with touches of bright red, orange, or yellow, but again, females are sparrowlike. The bishops are popular cage birds. In several species of weaverbirds, the males molt into a femalelike "eclipse" plumage after the breeding season.

The red-billed quelea, of the dry savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the greatest agricultural pests on that continent. About 13 cm (about 5 in) long, it is a sparrowlike bird with a bright pink bill. Breeding males have a black face and a pink wash on the head and underparts; "eclipse" males and females lack the black face and pink wash. Great clouds of hundreds of thousands of these birds descend on grain fields, often completely wiping out a crop.

Scientific classification: Weaverbirds make up the family Ploceidae of the order Passeriformes. They are sometimes placed in the family Passeridae. The representative genus is Ploceus. The sociable weaver is classified as Philetairus socius. Bishops make up the genus Euplectes. The red-billed quelea is classified as Quelea quelea.

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