Skip to main content

Photo: Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Red-headed Weaver

Anaplectes rubriceps

Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps) is a member of the Ploceidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 22.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Ploceidae Weavers, Widowbirds
  4. Genus Anaplectes
  5. Species rubriceps

Where it lives

Widespread

Quick facts

Weight
22.6 g
Family
Ploceidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-headed Weaver is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Red-headed Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.6 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 5.3 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 3.3 million km².

Songs & calls

Red-headed Weaver — Song

Recorded by Dries Van de Loock Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-headed Weaver?

The Red-headed Weaver is a small bird that weighs around 22.6 g.

Where does the Red-headed Weaver live?

The Red-headed Weaver is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Red-headed Weaver belong to?

The Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps) belongs to the Ploceidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Red-headed Weaver eat?

The Red-headed Weaver is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Red-headed Weaver migrate?

The Red-headed Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Red-headed 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 Red-headed Weaver make?

1 real field recording of the Red-headed Weaver — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-headed Weaver's range?

The Red-headed Weaver has a mapped global range of about 3.3 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Ploceidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top