Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus) [XC280574]
by Peter Boesman from St Lucia area, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa (call)
Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis) [XC280578]
by Frank Lambert from St Lucia area, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa (call, song, song and call)
Subspecies
Species name sometimes given as "ocularius", but this later spelling by the same describer is an incorrect subsequent spelling and is not available. Often grouped with Black-necked Weaver (Ploceus nigricollis) and Black-billed Weaver (Ploceus melanogaster) in a "spectacled weaver" superspecies.
Proposed subspecies tenuirostris (described from from Okavango region of north-western Botswana) is synonymized with crocatus, and brevior (from north-eastern South Africa) with nominate.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
crocatus (Hartlaub, 1881) - South-eastern Nigeria and Cameroon east, discontinuously, to southern Sudan, south-western Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (west of Rift Valley), south to southern Angola (R Cunene), north-eastern Namibia (Caprivi region), Botswana (Okavango Basin), Zambia (west of Muchinga Mts) and north-western Zimbabwe (Zambezi Valley).
suahelicus Neumann, 1905 - Kenya east of Rift Valley, eastern Tanzania, Malawi, eastern Zambia, eastern Zimbabwe and Mozambique (north of R Limpopo).
ocularis Smith, 1839 - Mozambique (south of R Limpopo), eastern South Africa and Swaziland.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet