Social Weaver
Philetairus socius
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasseridae (Passèrids)
- GenusPhiletairus (Sociable Weavers)
- SpeciesPhiletairus socius (Social Weaver)
The sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) is a species of bird in the weaver family, endemic to Southern Africa. It is the only species in its genus Philetairus. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, but its range is centered within the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The species builds large, compound, community nests, a rarity among birds. These nests are perhaps the most spectacular structure built by any bird. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Social Weaver sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 280 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
Great Rufous Sparrow
Passer motitensis
Cape Sparrow
Passer melanurus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow
Passer griseus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus nigricans
Cape Crow
Corvus capensis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Mariqua Flycatcher
Bradornis mariquensis
Sabota Lark
Calendulauda sabota
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Social Weaver in Etosha National Park?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Social Weaver sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 280 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Social Weaver in Etosha National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Social Weaver in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.