DISTRIBUTION, SYSTEMATICS, AND POLYMORPHISM OF THE AFRICAN WEAVER‐BIRD <i>QUELEA QUELEA</i>

Abstract

SUMMARY Quelea quelea is distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara in the Grass Steppe, Dry Savanna, and Montane Grassland biomes. It is most numerous where its staple food–the seeds of annual grasses–is most plentiful. In all parts of the range, the males in nuptial plumage are dimorphic. Everywhere the “black—faced” morph is commoner, but with up to 25% of “white‐faced”. Proportions of the morphs are given for samples from various parts of Africa. Only three races are accepted: quelea of western West Africa, aethiopica of the Sudan area, and lathami of southern Africa. In the Lake Chad basin there are hybrid swarms breeding (queleaj aethiopica), as there are in East Africa where aethiopica/lathami swarms occur.