Thick-billed weaver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thick-billed weaver
A male thick-billed weaver in Pretoria, South Africa
A female A. a. woltersi , Mozambique
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Amblyospiza
Species:	albifrons
Synonyms
Pyrrhula albifrons Vigors, 1831

The thick-billed weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons), also known as the grosbeak weaver, is a special and noticeable weaver bird. These birds live in the Afrotropics, which is a large region in Africa. They belong to a unique group called Amblyospiza and a smaller family group called Amblyospizinae.

These weavers have very strong beaks. They use their powerful beaks to open tough seeds found in nutlets and drupes. Their songs are not very musical; they sound a bit harsh. You can easily spot their nests because they look different from other weaver nests. They are built in a special way using fine strands of material.

You might also notice them fanning and flicking their tails often.

Understanding the Thick-billed Weaver

The name Amblyospiza was created in 1850 by Carl Jakob Sundevall. It means "blunt finch," which describes their very large beak. The second part of their name, albifrons, means "white forehead." This refers to the white patch on the males' heads. The thick-billed weaver was first officially described in 1831. An Irish zoologist named Nicholas Aylward Vigors gave it the name Pyrrhula albifrons. He studied specimens from the Algoa Bay area in South Africa.

Different Types of Thick-billed Weavers

Scientists have identified ten different types, or subspecies, of the thick-billed weaver. These subspecies are slightly different from each other and live in various parts of Africa. Here are some of them:

• A. a. capitalba (Bonaparte, 1850) – Found in parts of Guinea, Central African Republic, and Angola.
• A. a. saturata Sharpe, 1908 – Lives from southern Nigeria to the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• A. a. melanota (Heuglin, 1863) – Seen in South Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and parts of Tanzania.
• A. a. montana van Someren, 1921 – Found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and the Okavango Basin.
• A. a. unicolor (G.A.Fischer & Reichenow, 1878) – Lives along the East African coast, from Somalia to Zanzibar and Pemba islands.
• A. a. tandae Bannerman, 1921 – Found in northwestern Angola and the far western Democratic Republic of Congo.
• A. a. kasaica Schouteden, 1953 – Lives in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• A. a. maxima Roberts, 1932 – Found in southeastern Angola, northeastern Namibia, western Zambia, northern Botswana, and northwestern Zimbabwe.
• A. a. woltersi Clancey, 1956 – Lives in eastern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, and eastern South Africa.
• A. a. albifrons (Vigors, 1831) – Found in eastern Zimbabwe, central Mozambique, and eastern South Africa.

Where These Birds Live and What They Like

Thick-billed weavers are found in different areas across West, East, and southern Africa. They don't live everywhere; their homes are spread out in patches. You can find them in places like marshes, higher land areas, and even in suburban neighborhoods. They also like man-made wetlands.

During their breeding season, these birds prefer to live in wetlands filled with reeds. When it's not breeding season, they might move to the edges of forests.

Life and Habits of the Thick-billed Weaver

Reproduction and Family Life

Thick-billed weavers have an interesting way of starting families. One male bird tries to attract and mate with several females. A single male might attract up to six females. He can even have up to three active nests in his area at the same time. If there are not many weavers around, they might seem to pair up with just one partner. However, they usually build their nests in small groups, called colonies. One colony in South Africa had over 100 nests!

After mating, the female usually lays about three eggs. These eggs are whitish-pink with red, purple, and brown spots. Only the female bird sits on the eggs to keep them warm. This incubation period lasts for about 14 to 16 days. Once the chicks hatch, the female feeds them by bringing up food from her stomach. She continues to feed them until they are old enough to fly, which is about 18 to 20 days after hatching. Sometimes, the male bird also helps feed the young.

Their nests can be attacked by predators. Some animals that eat their eggs or chicks include the white-browed coucal, house crow, and the Nile monitor lizard. After the weavers leave their nests, other animals might use them. Climbing mice might move in, or other small birds like the orange-breasted waxbill or brown firefinch might use them for their own breeding.

Building a Home: Thick-billed Weaver Nests

The thick-billed weaver builds a very special nest. It is compact and woven tightly using thin strips of reeds. The nest hangs between the tall, straight stems of reeds. It is shaped like a globe, or a ball. Unlike other weaver nests, the entrance is near the top and faces sideways.

The male bird is the one who weaves the nest. He uses fine materials, making it look very neat. However, the way it's woven is not as complicated as nests made by some other weaver species. At first, the entrance is quite large. But once a female chooses the nest, the male makes the opening much smaller. Thick-billed weaver colonies can have just one male or several males. They usually set up their homes in a reed swamp.

Images for kids

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  A nest built in a type of bamboo

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  A young bird showing its yellow beak

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  A female bird eating nettle seeds in a mountain area

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  A male bird looking for food on a river bank