[1] This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages, and hotel grounds.

This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward-facing entrance, which is suspended from a branch in a tree.

Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller provided the first scientific name, Oriolus cucullatus, in his 1776 translation in German of the famous Systema Naturae, written by Carl Linnaeus.

The classification provided by Statius Muller was based on a description by Buffon, who in turn made use of work by Mathurin Jacques Brisson.

The first colored figure was made by François-Nicolas Martinet in a book titled Planches enluminées d'histoire naturelle by Edme-Louis Daubenton, that was published in 1783.

The specimen described by Brisson was collected in Senegal between 1748 and 1754 by Michel Adanson, who sent it to René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur in France.

[3] In 1789, Johann Friedrich Gmelin distinguished Loxia abyssinica, which was later recognised as a subspecies of the village weaver and for which the new combination P. c. abyssinicus was created.

Eight subspecies are recognized:[9] The village weaver is a stocky, 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) bird with a strong conical bill and dark reddish eyes.

In the northern part of its range, the breeding male has a black head edged by chestnut (typically most distinct on the nape and chest).

The male weaves the structure of the nest using long strips of leaf that he has torn from palms or large grass species such as Arundo donax.

He than extends the high end of the ring in front of its head, gradually working towards his feet creating a half-globe that is the nesting chamber.