Ploceus cucullatus

Ploceus cucullatus A passerine of the family Ploceidae, this species is a widely distributed African weaver noted for complex nesting and sociality. It has been the subject of studies by ornithologists from institutions such as the Royal Society, Smithsonian Institution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, and University of Cape Town. Fieldwork on the species has involved collaborations with organizations including the World Wide Fund for Nature, BirdLife International, IUCN, and the African Bird Club.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

Originally described in the 18th and 19th centuries by naturalists associated with collections at the British Museum, taxonomic treatment of the species has been revised in checklists produced by the International Ornithologists' Union and referenced in monographs from the American Museum of Natural History and Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet. Genetic analyses published by research groups at Cambridge University, Oxford University, and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology have clarified relationships within the genus and with allied taxa in databases maintained by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The species epithet reflects classical Linnaean nomenclature preserved in catalogues from the Linnaean Society of London.

Description

Adults display sexual dimorphism well documented in field guides from the Royal Ontario Museum, Iziko South African Museum, and the Museum für Naturkunde. Identification keys used by contributors to the Handbook of the Birds of the World contrast plumage with measurements archived at the American Museum of Natural History. Morphological studies by teams at University of Oxford, Harvard University, and University of Nairobi report bill shape, wing chord, and body mass data consistent across populations sampled near the Nile River, Congo Basin, and Gulf of Guinea.

Distribution and Habitat

Range maps in atlases compiled by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds show occurrence throughout sub-Saharan Africa including locales such as Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and islands studied by researchers from the University of Mauritius and University of Cape Town. Habitat use documented in surveys by the African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, and teams working with the Kenya Wildlife Service spans savanna, wetlands near the Zambezi River, urban areas monitored by municipal programs in Accra, Lagos, and Abidjan, and agroecosystems managed under projects supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Behavior and Ecology

Social organization has been examined in long-term studies affiliated with the Max Planck Society, Princeton University, and the University of Zurich; results have been presented at meetings of the International Ornithological Congress and published in journals associated with the Royal Society. Foraging behavior overlaps with studies of seed dispersal and insect predation cited by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and conservation programs run by the Wetlands International and the East African Wildlife Society. Interactions with other species have been recorded in protected areas managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service, South African National Parks, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and have been compared with sympatric passerines catalogued in collections at the Natural History Museum, London.

Reproduction and Lifecycle

Nesting architecture has been a focal point in research funded by entities such as the National Science Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the European Research Council, with field sites including the Gambia River floodplains, the Okavango Delta, and urban green spaces in Cairo and Dar es Salaam. Studies from laboratories at Yale University, University of Cambridge, and University of Pretoria document clutch size, incubation periods, and fledging success, and have been compared with breeding phenologies reported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and breeding bird surveys coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Conservation and Threats

Assessments by the IUCN Red List, BirdLife International, and regional conservation NGOs such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust and African Parks evaluate population trends influenced by land-use change driven by projects funded by the World Bank and policy frameworks enacted by national governments including those of Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Threat analyses reference habitat loss in riverine corridors like the Nile River Delta, pesticide exposure issues addressed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and invasive species management informed by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Conservation actions recommended in reports from the United Nations Environment Programme and implemented in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society emphasize habitat protection, urban planning collaboration with municipal authorities in Accra and Lagos, and community-based monitoring promoted by the African Bird Club.

Category:Weaver birds Category:Birds of Africa