Southern masked weaver

Description

The southern masked weaver is 11 - long with a short, strong, conical bill and pinkish brown legs. The adult male in breeding plumage has a black face, throat and beak, red eye, bright yellow head and underparts, and a plain yellowish-green back,

The female has a pinkish-brown bill, brown or red-brown eye and is dull greenish-yellow, streaked darker on the upper back. The throat is yellowish, fading to off-white on the belly. The non-breeding male resembles the female but retains the red eye. The juvenile of this species is like the female.

The call is a harsh swizzling, similar to other weavers. It also utters a sharp chuk alarm note.

Behaviour and ecology

Nest building and breeding

The southern masked weaver nests in colonies, mainly from September to January. Males have several female partners, and build a succession of nests, typically 25 each season. The nests, like those of other weavers, are woven from reed, palm or grass. A female will line a selected nest with soft grass and feathers. The nest is built in a tree, often over water, but sometimes in suburbia. This weaver also nests in reeds.

The southern masked weaver lays eggs of a various colour and this helps it to evade parasitisation by cuckoos because the cuckoo has no way of knowing what kind of eggs are inside the weaver's nest until it has entered the nest to attempt to lay one itself. Eggs of the wrong colouration are ejected by the nest owners.

Feeding

The southern masked weaver is usually seen singly or in small groups. It may also form larger flocks, alone or with other seed eating species. It eats insects, seeds and nectar, and will come to feeding tables.

Gallery

File:Southern Masked Weaver Nest 2019-07-28.jpg|Finished nest with intricate details (Etosha, Namibia) AQ8A1606.jpg|Nesting colony, Kruger National Park Ploceus velatus -Johannesburg -male making nest-8.jpg|Male starting to build nest, Johannesburg Southern masked weaver (Ploceus velatus) male building nest composite.jpg|Male building nest, Johannesburg

References

General references

• Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002)
• SASOL e-guide

Citations

References

1. BirdLife International. (2018). "''Ploceus velatus''".
2. Hunter, H. C.. (June 1961). "Parasitism of the Masked Weaver ''Ploceus Velatus Arundinaceus''". Ostrich.
3. David Attenborough, ''[[The Life of Birds]]'', Episode 8, 46 minutes 15 seconds ff