Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spectacled Weaver
Ploceus ocularis
Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis) — 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 Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis) is a member of the Ploceidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 25.2 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 ocularis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spectacled 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 Spectacled Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, e, se.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.4 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spectacled Weaver?
The Spectacled Weaver is a small bird that weighs around 25.2 g.
Where does the Spectacled Weaver live?
The Spectacled Weaver is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, e, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spectacled Weaver belong to?
The Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis) belongs to the Ploceidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spectacled Weaver eat?
The Spectacled Weaver is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spectacled Weaver migrate?
The Spectacled Weaver is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spectacled 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 Spectacled Weaver make?
1 real field recording of the Spectacled 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 Spectacled Weaver's range?
The Spectacled Weaver has a mapped global range of about 3 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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