Birds · Passeriformes · Ploceidae

Village Weaver

Ploceus cucullatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The village weaver is one of the most abundant birds in Africa and probably the best example of animal architecture on the continent. The male weaves a spherical nest with an entrance underneath, knotting strips of grass one by one, hangs it from the tip of a branch and waits for a female to inspect it. If she turns it down, he destroys it and starts another in the same place.

Weight

34 g – 41 g

Size

15 cm – 17 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaFreshwaterGrasslandOmnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Savanna Freshwater Grassland

43countries 31parks

Fun facts

reproducciónThe males weave extremely elaborate nests out of grass and plant fibre, and often have to take them apart and rebuild them several times before a female approves.
The male ties real knots with strips of grass, holding them with his feet and threading them with his bill, and can build a complete nest in a single day.
If the female inspects the nest and is not convinced, the male dismantles it and starts again: a single male can build and destroy more than twenty nests in a season.
The nests hang from the tips of thin branches over water whenever possible, a defence against snakes and monkeys that cannot reach them without falling.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Wooded savannah, gallery forest, farmland and villages of sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 12 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_weaver