White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Identification Guide

Key Field Marks

• Medium-sized weaver, about 17-18 cm (6.7-7 in), with brown upperparts and clean white underparts.
• Bold white eyebrow (supercilium) stripe over a brown face, brown-streaked flanks, and a stout, conical bill typical of weavers.
• A conspicuous white rump patch flashes clearly when the bird flies.

Separating It From Similar Species

• Sociable Weaver: Smaller, occupies more arid southwestern habitats, and builds a very different massive communal nest structure with many chambers under one roof, unlike the individual grass nests of White-browed Sparrow-Weaver.
• Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver: Shows a darker, more chestnut-toned back and occupies a different, more restricted East African range, distinguishing it from the plainer brown back of White-browed Sparrow-Weaver.

Habitat, Range & Season

• Inhabits dry savanna, thornveld, and acacia woodland across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Range spans from East Africa south through much of southern Africa.
• Resident year-round; highly sedentary around its nesting colonies.

Voice

• Noisy and vocal, giving cheerful chattering notes and liquid whistled phrases, often performed as duets or group choruses at the nesting colony.

Behavior

• Highly social, living in cooperative-breeding groups that build multiple large, untidy grass nests with two entrances in a single tree, forming conspicuous colonies.
• Forages mostly on the ground in small groups, taking insects and seeds.
• Nests are used for both breeding and roosting year-round, and colony trees are easy to spot due to the cluster of grass nests.