Donaldson Smith's sparrow-weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Africa from southern Ethiopia to central Kenya and southern Somalia. It was named in honor of the 19th-century American explorer Arthur Donaldson Smith.
Region
Horn of Africa and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Ethiopia through southern Somalia to central and northern Kenya, mainly in arid and semi-arid zones. It favors Acacia-Commiphora bushland, dry savanna, and scrubby plains, and can persist around pastoral settlements. Nests are typically placed in thorny trees and shrubs, often above open ground. It adapts to lightly grazed rangelands and may use edges of fields and tracks.
Altitude Range
200–1800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Donaldson Smith's sparrow-weaver is a small East African weaver named for explorer Arthur Donaldson Smith. It inhabits arid thorn scrub and dry savannas where it forages mostly on the ground. Like other sparrow-weavers, it often nests in small colonies, weaving bulky grass nests in thorny acacias. Its understated plumage is offset by a bold white eyebrow that makes field identification easier.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically forms small groups or loose colonies, maintaining group territories around nesting trees. Pairs are largely monogamous, and several nests may cluster in the same thorny tree. Nests are bulky, woven from dry grasses, usually with a side entrance and placed high enough to deter predators.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of chirps and short, repetitive phrases delivered from exposed perches. Calls include sharp chinks and harsher chatters used for contact within the group.
Plumage
Sandy-brown upperparts with paler margins, clean whitish underparts, and contrasting darker wings and tail with pale edges. A broad white supercilium contrasts with dusky ear-coverts and a darker crown. The tail often shows white outer feathers visible in flight.
Diet
Feeds mainly on grass seeds and small grains, supplemented by insects—especially termites, beetles, and caterpillars—during the breeding season. It will also take buds and small fruits when available. Foraging is mostly on the ground with occasional gleaning from low shrubs.
Preferred Environment
Forages in open patches within thorn scrub, along track edges, and in lightly grazed savannas. Will use village margins and fallow fields where seed availability is high.
