Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dark-backed Weaver
Ploceus bicolor
Dark-backed Weaver (Ploceus bicolor) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Dark-backed Weaver (Ploceus bicolor) is a member of the Ploceidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 34.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Ploceidae Weavers, Widowbirds
- Genus Ploceus
- Species bicolor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dark-backed Weaver is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Dark-backed Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dark-backed Weaver (Ploceus bicolor) is a member of the Ploceidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 5.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dark-backed Weaver?
The Dark-backed Weaver is a small bird that weighs around 34.5 g.
Where does the Dark-backed Weaver live?
The Dark-backed Weaver is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Dark-backed Weaver belong to?
The Dark-backed Weaver (Ploceus bicolor) belongs to the Ploceidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Dark-backed Weaver eat?
The Dark-backed Weaver is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Dark-backed Weaver migrate?
The Dark-backed Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dark-backed Weaver endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Dark-backed Weaver make?
1 real field recording of the Dark-backed Weaver — including its duet — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Dark-backed Weaver's range?
The Dark-backed Weaver has a mapped global range of about 1.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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