Cape Weaver (male)

Description:

The final touch on the nest was made by the male on the photos. If he is lucky a female will like his work and move in. If not he will start building/weaving a new nest...

Habitat:

Semi urban area in a banana plant/tree cluster.

Notes:

The Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis is a large weaver, with a long bill. The adult male in breeding plumage is bright yellow with varying amounts of orange-brown on the face, a black bill, and a pale eye. The female is olive, with a yellow throat and belly, brown eye, and pale horn bill. Adult females usually have brown eyes, but 19% have pale eyes in summer and thus eye colour alone cannot be used to sex this species. The male is in non-breeding plumage for a relatively short time when it resembles the female but is yellower below, and retains the pale eye. The juvenile is dull, with a yellowish belly. Ploceus capensis is endemic to Southern Africa. They weave their nests upside-down off the branch of a tree, with an entrance at the bottom. These clever nests are sometimes usurped by other birds, such as the Hadada Ibis. The photos also shows that the nereby banana leaves has been ripped off, and used for nest contstuction materiel. The Cape Weaver is colonial and highly polygynous with up to 7 females per male. Males are strongly territorial within a colony, and males chase intruders off neighbouring territories. The nest is built by the male. The nest is a bulky, kidney-shaped structure, with the entrance below and usually without an entrance tunnel. Males display from their nests to attract females. If a female accepts a nest, she lines it with fine grass.