About Philetairus socius (Latham, 1790)
The sociable weaver (Philetairus socius (Latham, 1790)) measures approximately 14 cm (5+1⁄2 inches) in total length, with a tail length of around 42 to 48 mm (1.7 to 1.9 inches), and typically weighs between 26 and 32 g (15⁄16 to 1+1⁄8 oz). It has a black chin, black barred flanks, and a scalloped back, and males and females cannot be distinguished from one another by appearance. This species is distributed across northwestern South Africa, southwestern Botswana, and extends northward through Namibia. It is strongly associated with the arid savannas that are characteristic of the southern Kalahari region. The presence of stiff grasses such as Stipagrostis ciliata, which is also known under the synonym Aristida ciliata and serves as an important nesting material for the species, is a key factor that determines where the sociable weaver can be found. The taller grasses and fire-prone conditions of the Northern and Central Kalahari regions may explain why the species is absent from those areas. Its habitat is semiarid, with low and unpredictable rainfall that occurs mostly in summer. The total population of the sociable weaver has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to abundant.
