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Weaverbird
Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches and bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classifications, Ploceidae is a clade, which 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. Taxonomy and systematics The family Ploceidae was introduced (as Ploceïdes) by the Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1836. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the family is sister to a clade containing the families Viduidae and Estrildidae Their common ancestor lived in the middle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weaver Bird
Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches and bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classifications, Ploceidae is a clade, which 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. Taxonomy and systematics The family Ploceidae was introduced (as Ploceïdes) by the Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1836. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the family is sister to a clade containing the families Viduidae and Estrildidae Their common ancestor lived in the mid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-capped Social Weaver
The black-capped social weaver (''Pseudonigrita cabanisi'') is a sparrow-like species of bird that has been assigned to the weaverbird family. It was originally described by Fisher and Reichenow, and later re-classified by the latter to the genus ''Pseudonigrita''. Adults have a large black cap, ivory-colored bill, red eyes, brown back and wings, blackish-brown tail, white throat and underparts with a black midline, and dark horn-colored legs. It breeds in colonies and roofed nests with an entrance at the bottom in thorny trees such as acacias are constructed by the male from grass stems. It is found in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. It is sometimes kept and bred in captivity. Taxonomy and systematics In 1884, the black-capped social weaver was first described by German East-Africa explorer Gustav Fischer and German ornithologist Anton Reichenow as ''Nigrita cabanisi'', based on a specimen collected in 1883 by Fischer in the Pare Mountains. In 1903, Reicheno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudonigrita
''Pseudonigrita'' is a genus of sparrow-like birds in the weaverbird family. Extant Species It contains two species, which are both found in eastern Africa: Taxonomy French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte described the grey-capped social weaver as ''Nigrita arnaudi'' in 1850, based on a specimen collected by the French explorer Joseph Pons d'Arnaud around 1841 near Juba on the White Nile. In 1884, the black-capped social weaver was first described by German East-Africa explorer Gustav Fischer and German ornithologist Anton Reichenow as ''Nigrita cabanisi'', based on a specimen collected in 1883 by Fischer in the Pare Mountains. In 1903, Reichenow assigned both species to his newly erected genus ''Pseudonigrita'', because he considered ''P. arnaudi'' and ''P. cabanisi'' related to weaverbirds (Ploceidae), while the other species '' Nigrita bicolor'', '' N. canicapillus'', '' N. fusconota'' and '' N. luteifrons'' are negrofinches assigned to the estrildid finches. In 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey-capped Social Weaver
The grey-capped social weaver (''Pseudonigrita arnaudi'') is a sparrow-like liver-colored bird, with a pale grey crown, a dark grey bill, a whitish eye-ring, horn-colored legs, with some black in the wing and a light terminal band in the tail, that builds roofed nests made of straws, breeds in colonies in thorny Acacia trees, and feeds in groups gathering grass seeds and insects. Male and female have near identical plumage. DNA-analysis confirms it is part of the weaver family. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Taxonomy The French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte described the grey-capped social weaver as ''Nigrita arnaudi'' in 1850. He chose the specific epithet to honor Joseph Pons d'Arnaud, the French explorer who had collected a specimen around 1841 near Juba on the White Nile, and sent it to the French Museum of Natural History. In 1903, the German zoologist Anton Reichenow assigned the species to his newly erected g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plocepasser Mahali -Baringo Lake, Kenya -male-8
The sparrow-weavers (''Plocepasser'') are a genus of birds in the family Ploceidae (weavers), but some taxonomic authorities place them in the family Passeridae (Old World sparrows). Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Plocepasser'' contains the following species: Phylogeny Based on recent DNA-analysis (which only included ''P. mahali''), the genus ''Plocepasser'' belongs to the group of sparrow weavers (subfamily Plocepasserinae), and is most related to the clade that consists of '' Philetairus socius'' and the genus ''Pseudonigrita''. This clade is sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ... to the most basic genus of the subfamily, '' Sporopipes''. Provided that genera are correct clades, the following tree expresses current insights. References Exter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plocepasser
The sparrow-weavers (''Plocepasser'') are a genus of birds in the family Ploceidae (weavers), but some taxonomic authorities place them in the family Passeridae (Old World sparrows). Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Plocepasser'' contains the following species: Phylogeny Based on recent DNA-analysis (which only included ''P. mahali''), the genus ''Plocepasser'' belongs to the group of sparrow weavers (subfamily Plocepasserinae), and is most related to the clade that consists of '' Philetairus socius'' and the genus ''Pseudonigrita''. This clade is sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ... to the most basic genus of the subfamily, '' Sporopipes''. Provided that genera are correct clades, the following tree expresses current insights. References Exter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-browed Sparrow-weaver
The white-browed sparrow-weaver (''Plocepasser mahali'') is a predominantly brown, sparrow-sized bird found throughout central and north-central southern Africa. It is found in groups of two to eleven individuals consisting of one breeding pair and other non-reproductive individuals. Taxonomy and systematics During his expedition to the interior of southern Africa in 1834–35, Andrew Smith collected specimens of the white-browed sparrow weaver at the Modder River, which he described in 1836, giving it the scientific name ''Plocepasser mahali''. Etymology Smith did not provide an explanation for the species epithet ''mahali'', but is clear it is not a Latin name. Probably it is derived from the vernacular name for the bird in Setswana ''mogale'' or from the Sesotho word ''mohale'', a brave or fierce person, which suggests the bird's name may refer to its angry scolding. Vernacular names Other common names used in English include black-billed mahali weaverbird, black-bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Village Weaver
The village weaver (''Ploceus cucullatus''), also known as the spotted-backed weaver or black-headed weaver (the latter leading to easy confusion with '' P. melanocephalus''), is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been introduced to Portugal and Venezuela as well as to the islands of Hispaniola, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Mauritius and Réunion. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages and hotel grounds. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward facing entrance which is suspended from a branch in a tree. Two to three eggs are laid. Village weavers are colonial breeders, so many nests may hang from one tree. Village weavers feed principally on seeds and grain, and can be a crop pest, but it will readily take insects, especially when ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amblyospizinae
The thick-billed weaver (''Amblyospiza albifrons''), 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. They have particularly strong mandibles, which are employed to extricate the seeds in nutlets and drupes, and their songs are comparatively unmusical and harsh. Their colonial nests are readily distinguishable from those of other weavers, due to their form and placement, and the fine strands used in their construction. They habitually fan and flick their tails. Taxonomy and systematics The generic name ''Amblyospiza'' was coined by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1850 and means "blunt, finch", referencing the very large bill, while the specific name ''albifrons'' refers white forehead of the males. The thick-billed weaver was formally described as ''Pyrrhula albifrons'' in 1831 by the Irish zoologist and politician Nicholas Aylward Vigors from the col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by their inhabitants as comprising the entire world, with the "New World", a term for the newly encountered lands of the Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas. Etymology In the context of archaeology and world history, the term "Old World" includes those parts of the world which were in (indirect) cultural contact from the Bronze Age onwards, resulting in the parallel development of the early civilizations, mostly in the temperate zone between roughly the 45th and 25th parallels north, in the area of the Mediterranean, including North Africa. It also included Mesopotamia, the Persian plateau, the Indian subcontinent, China, and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. These regions were connected via the Silk Road trade route, and they have a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by the arrangement of their toes (three pointing forward and one back), which facilitates perching. With more than 140 families and some 6,500 identified species, Passeriformes is the largest clade of birds and among the most diverse clades of terrestrial vertebrates, representing 60% of birds.Ericson, P.G.P. et al. (2003Evolution, biogeography, and patterns of diversification in passerine birds ''J. Avian Biol'', 34:3–15.Selvatti, A.P. et al. (2015"A Paleogene origin for crown passerines and the diversification of the Oscines in the New World" ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'', 88:1–15. Passerines are divided into three clades: Acanthisitti (New Zealand wrens), Tyranni (suboscines), and Passeri (oscines or songbirds). The passeri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the ostrich. There are about ten thousand living species, more than half of which are passerine, or "perching" birds. Birds have whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming. B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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