Movements and Migration

Usually resident, the Scaly Weaver shows no large-scale movements, but can be locally nomadic during periods of drought or when other unfavorable conditions prevail (46 Herremans, M. (1997). Scalyfeathered Finch. In Harrison, J. A. et al. (Editors). The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Volume 2:546-547. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa. Close ). Ringed birds have been recovered dead 10–13 km (n = 3) from the ringing (banding) site; two of these recoveries were juveniles aged 6 months, suggesting that this was juvenile dispersal (2 Dean, W. R. J. (2005). Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons. In Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. 7th edition (P. A. R. Hockey, W. R. J. Dean and P. G. Ryan, Editors), Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. pp. 1005–1006. Close ).

In a sample of SAFRING banding data, there were 213 recaptures or recoveries, and at least 88% were found at the same locality, indicating high site fidelity (unpublished analysis - note many recaptures had slightly different coordinates than those of initial banding, but were probably errors meant to be the same).

The species is resident.