The red-headed weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps) is a bird commonly found in eastern and southern Africa in countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and most of Mozambique and Botswana.[3] They frequent savanna biomes as well as bushland and other wooded areas.[3] At this time the species trend is stable and the population is concentrated and not fragmented into different regions.[3]
Characteristics
The red-headed weaver is typically found with a white belly and brown wings.[4] The northern male red-headed weavers commonly have a distinct red head that sticks out to the females of the species.[4] The northern females have a more brown head that doesn't stick out as much, while the southern females are found with yellow heads and yellow accents on their wings.[4] All red-headed weavers are found with a moderately long and pointed beak and short strong claws.[4] A typical red-headed weaver flock tends to usually have one male who stays with a pack of eight or nine females.[4] Their nest is usually made of dry sticks that they have collected, it is usually suspended from a tree and shaped like a raindrop, but in some cases the Red-headed Weavers put their nest in a man made structure.[4] A distinct feature of the nest is the long entrance tunnel that is more commonly used with the Malimbus genus.[4]
Behavior
The red-headed weaver searches for insects on leaves and branches either alone or in pairs.[4] It can be found searching for food on leaves and at the tips of branches in bushes, saplings, and both small and large trees.[4] The red-headed weaver usually hangs upside-down and uses its bill to pry open clusters of dead leaves and will probe bark to find insects.[4] It also catches aerial insects such as alate termites and moths, which it beats against a surface until the wings break off.[4] Additionally, it pecks at spider nests to extract prey.[4] It is also known to take some plant material, such as acacia seeds, Premna fruit, and berries of the mistletoes Tapinanthus leendertziae and T. dodoneifolius.[4] In addition, it has been observed feeding on nectar from flowers of various plants, including Bombax costatum, Vitellaria paradoxa, and Carissa edulis.[4] On rare occasions, it has been observed feeding on drying meat hanging in the open air.[4] The stomach contents of this bird have included bugs, beetles, mantids, and alate termites, while spiders and tiny snails have been fed to chicks along with fruit pulp.[4]
The oldest documented red-headed Weaver was recorded to live for 9 years and 1 month, however studies estimate that the maximum lifespan is around 11 years.[3]
Races
There are two races,[5] though some 13 have been suggested.[2] They differ by the colour of the belly, colour of the edges to the primaries, and the presence or absence of a black mask.
A. r. leuconotos (J. W. von Müller, 1851) – West Africa to northern Malawi
A. r. rubriceps (Sundevall, 1850) – Southern Africa
A. r. gurneyi from Caconda, Angola, a synonym of the above
Gallery
Male A. r. rubriceps from an isolated population Caconda, Angola, acquiring breeding plumage
^Ploceus melanotis, described by Lafresnaye (1839) from two Senegalese specimens is invalid as the name was preoccupied. Sundevall utilized a specimen obtained by Wahlberg in November 1843 at Mohapoani (i.e. Witfonteinrant near Thabazimbi). cf Oschadleus (2009)
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