Examples of birds that weave nests include Weavers, Red-Billed Quelea, and Bishops.
Birds can build nests using an impressive variety of materials. They generally use twigs and mud to create a sturdy nest, but also sometimes will incorporate other man-made objects like scrap plastics.
In this article, we will explore the different types of nests that birds weave, and we will discuss why some birds are more skilled at nest-building than others. We will also take a look at some of the most unique nests in the world.
Examples of Birds that Weave Nests
1. Asian Golden Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus hypoxanthus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam |
The Asian Golden Weaver is a small bird that lives in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. This species makes its nest from grass and leaves, but it also weaves in bright yellow flowers to make its nest look more attractive.
2. Baglafecht Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus baglafecht |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | eastern and central Africa |
The Baglafecht weaver is a small bird that is native to Africa. These weavers are known for their intricate nests, which are made out of grass, leaves, and other plant material. The nests are woven so tightly that they resemble a basket, and they can often be found hanging from tree branches or shrubs.
3. Baya Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus philippinus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Southeast Asia |
The baya weaver is a highly social species, and one of its most notable behaviors is nest-building. The birds build intricately woven nests on top of each other using grass, twigs, palm fibers, leaves, and stems. Each bird builds its own nest inside the larger structure, which can grow to be quite large over time.
4. Black-Breasted Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus benghalensis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | indo-malayan realm |
One of the most unusual nests in the world is created by a species of weaver bird called the black-breasted weaver. This intriguing bird lives in western Africa, and it has an extremely advanced nest-building technique. The black-breasted weaver uses natural fibers like grass to create its nests, but unlike other birds that weave together these materials to build a single nest, the black-breasted weaver will construct multiple nests that are connected with each other.
This allows it to store food in one part of its nest while nesting in another portion, which provides both safety and convenience for this fascinating species.
5. Black-Headed Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus cucullatus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | West, Central, and East Africa |
The black-headed weaver is a small bird found in sub-Saharan Africa. This species is well known for its intricate nests, which are woven from grasses and other plant materials. The weaver’s nest is so sturdy that it can support the weight of the bird as it hangs upside down from the nest.
One of the reasons that the black-headed weaver is such a skilled nest-builder is its unique beak shape. The weaver’s beak allows it to quickly and precisely weave different types of plant materials together, creating a sturdy structure that can withstand weather conditions and predators.
6. Cape Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus capensis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
The Cape Weaver is a small bird that is found in southern Africa. This bird is known for its beautiful yellow plumage and its ability to weave an intricate nest out of grasses and other plant material. The Cape Weaver’s nest is so strong that it can support the weight of the bird and her eggs, even during severe weather conditions.
7. Cinnamon Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus badius |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Sudan and South Sudan |
The cinnamon weaver is a small bird that is found in Africa. This bird weaves its nest out of grass and other plant material. The nest is shaped like a ball, and it has a small opening at the top.
The cinnamon weaver is an expert at nest-building, and its nests are some of the most intricate and elaborate in the bird world. In addition to using grass and other plant materials, these birds often incorporate fibers from spider webs into their nests. This gives the nest a distinctive “spidery” look that is quite striking.
8. Compact Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus superciliosus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The compact weaver is a bird species that live in the lowlands of Africa. It belongs to a group of birds known as “New World” weavers because they come from a small geographic range in South America, rather than the old world – which encompasses much of Europe and Asia.
These birds are called “compact weavers” because they build their nests using a wide variety of materials, including leaves, grasses, twigs, and even human hair! The compact weaver is an impressively skilled nest-builder, and its nests are often used as homes by other animals, such as lizards and snakes.
9. Eastern Golden Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus subaureus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | south-eastern Africa |
The weaverbird family is known for its intricate nests, and the Eastern Golden Weaver is no exception. This bird builds its nests out of grasses, leaves, and other plant fibers, weaving them together with great skill. The finished product is a long, tubular nest that hangs from a tree or bush.
10. Finn’s Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus megarhynchus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys in India and Nepal |
One of the most unusual bird nests in the world belongs to a small weaver from Central Africa. This bird is called the Finn’s Weaver, and its nest is shaped like a tiny hammock. To build these nests, birds weave strips of bark into a triangle before hanging it from the tree branches.
11. Lesser Masked Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus intermedius |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
The lesser masked weaver is a small, colorful bird that is popular among aviculturists and pet owners. It has a bright orange beak and an impressive array of black and yellow feathers. These birds are native to the savannas of Africa, where they build nests using grasses, leaves, and strips of bark.
The weavers typically build these nests by weaving together multiple branches, and they are known for their complex knot-work. The interior of the nest is lined with softer materials like grass, feathers, and hair.
12. Northern Brown-Throated Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus castanops |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
The Northern Brown-throated Weaver is a small bird that is found in southern Africa. This species weaves its nests out of grass, and the nests are often suspended from tree branches. The weaver will use its beak to weave the grass into a circular shape, and it will then line the nest with soft materials such as leaves or spider webs.
13. Orange Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus aurantius |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | western and central Africa |
The hardworking orange weaver is one of the most skilled nest builders in the animal kingdom. This social bird can construct a nest every single day for an entire month, and each nest is made from hundreds of twigs that are woven together with spider silk. Orange weavers use their nests as shelters for their chicks and for themselves.
14. Red-Billed Buffalo Weaver
| Scientific Name | Bubalornis niger |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
One of the most fascinating birds when it comes to nest-building is the Red-Billed Buffalo Weaver, also known as the Red-Headed Weaver. This bird is native to Africa and can be found in areas such as Kenya, Uganda, Mauritania, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso.
15. Red-Billed Quelea
| Scientific Name | Quelea quelea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
The red-billed quelea is a small, finch-like bird that is native to Africa. These birds are social creatures, and they often build their nests in large colonies. Due to their huge numbers, red-billed queleas have been known to strip entire fields of grain in a single day.
16. Rufous-Tailed Weaver
| Scientific Name | Histurgops ruficaudus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | East Africa |
The Rufous-Tailed Weaver is a bird that can be found in tropical Africa, as well as Madagascar. The nests of this species are usually built by the male bird and typically take around ten days to complete. They are made using long strips of leaves and grass, which the bird weaves together in a very intricate pattern. It’s not uncommon for the Rufous-Tailed Weaver to use its own tail feathers to help construct its nest.
17. Rüppell’s Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus galbula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Sudan to Somalia |
The rüppell’s weaver is a very unique bird, and it is found in the savannas of Ethiopia and Kenya. This bird builds its nest using spiderwebs and dry grasses, which create an intricate structure that looks almost like a ball of yarn to the untrained eye. The nest itself is not particularly large, but it is strong and sturdy enough to protect the bird’s eggs from predators.
18. Sociable Weaver
| Scientific Name | Philetairus socius |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
One of the most unique nests in the world is built by a species of African bird known as the sociable weaver. These birds live in colonies and actually build their homes out of nothing more than grass and leaves. Each individual bird gets its own chamber inside the nest, which provides both shelter and protection from the elements.
19. Southern Masked Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus velatus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Africa |
The Southern Masked Weaver is a small songbird found mainly in southern Africa. These little birds are well-known for the intricate nests that they weave, which consist of interwoven grasses, blades of dried grass, and other vegetation materials.
This type of nest is called a “weaver’s nest” because these small birds have unique plumage that allows them to grip the grasses and weave them together with their beaks. The Southern Masked Weaver is one of the most skilled nest-builders in the bird world, and its nests are often used as nesting sites for other bird species.
20. Southern Red Bishop
| Scientific Name | Euplectes orix |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The Southern Red Bishop is a small passerine bird (sometimes called a weaver) that inhabits the southern regions of Africa. This species’ nest, which is built on an exposed branch or fork near water, consists of straw and other plant fibers that are woven together to create a cup-shaped structure surrounded by a thin veil.
21. Spectacled Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus ocularis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The Spectacled Weaver is a small bird that is found in Africa. This bird weaves its nest out of grass, and the nest is suspended from a tree branch. The female builds the outer part of the nest, and the male builds the inner part.
22. Speke’s Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus spekei |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | eastern Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya |
Speke’s Weaver (Ploceus spekei) is a small bird found in the southern regions of Africa. These colorful birds are known for their intricate nest-building abilities, and many experts believe that they have some of the most refined nests in the world. In fact, Speke’s Weavers are not only known for their dexterity when constructing nests but also for the fact that they often weave reusable materials into their nests.
23. Streaked Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus manyar |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Worldwide |
The Streaked Weaver is a small bird that is found in Africa. This bird weaves a nest that is made out of grass and other plant material. The Streaked Weaver’s nest is unique because it has a long entrance tunnel. This tunnel helps to keep predators away from the eggs and young birds.
24. Taveta Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus castaneiceps |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The Taveta weaver is a small bird that is found in Africa. This species is known for its intricate nests, which are made out of grasses and other plant material. The nests are woven so tightly that they can often withstand heavy rains and strong winds.
25. Vieillot’s Black Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus nigerrimus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | central Africa |
Vieillot’s black weaver is a small bird that lives in the grasslands of western Africa. This species is known for its intricate nests, which they weave using smooth strips of bark taken from the twigs or branches of certain trees and bushes. The broad design makes Vieillot’s black weavers’ nests very sturdy and difficult to destroy.
26. Village Weaver
| Scientific Name | Ploceus cucullatus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
The Village Weaver is a species of bird that is native to sub-Saharan Africa. This small bird has relatively long wings and legs, and the male birds are typically bright yellow in color.
27. White-Headed Buffalo Weaver
| Scientific Name | Dinemellia dinemelli |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The White-Headed Buffalo Weaver is a species of bird that is found in Africa. This bird gets its name from the fact that its head is white, and it weaves its nests out of grasses and other plant materials.
Conclusion
Weaver birds are known for their intricate nests, which are made from a variety of materials like grass, leaves, and spider webs. Some of the most skilled nest-builders are the black-headed weaver and the Cape Weaver, both of which use their beaks to quickly weave different materials together into a sturdy structure.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.