Ploceus rubiginosus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The chestnut weaver (Ploceus rubiginosus) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in eastern and south-western Africa. They can typically be found in Kenya, Botswana, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, and Namibia. Chestnut Weavers are considered locally abundant and of least concern. It is a nomadic as well as residential species that moves in response to rainfall and food availability.
Its general habitat is dry. It can be found in shrubland and thornveld, typically below 1,500 Meters. Colonies of Chestnut Weavers can be found near Nairobi and on the Laikipia Plateau in Kenya, but only when there is good rain, they will also appear further South in Kenya, in Tsavo, from October to April.
It is often seen in flocks, which is because they are colonial breeders; many birds nest together in one area. They breed in October in Ethiopia, in May in Somalia, May to July in Uganda, April to July in Kenya, as well as November in the northern arid region, March to April in Tanzania, April in Angola, and December to May in Namibia. Sometimes they will extend their breeding grounds into northwestern Botswana, being found... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 6 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 11 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 15 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 16 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut Weaver sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 491 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut Weaver in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against about 30% in January, March and July–September, the lowest months. That is one of Samburu National Reserve's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain against 5 mm in September.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chestnut Weaver sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 17
Of the 17 parks where we can rate Chestnut Weaver sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Meru National Park (Kenya, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Ploceus
The closest relatives of the Chestnut Weaver that you can see in Samburu National Reserve (genus Ploceus, Typical Weavers) are Golden Palm Weaver (about 20%), Lesser Masked-Weaver (about 20%) and Vitelline Masked-Weaver (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chestnut Weaver is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (491 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
