Overview
Loud chatter and dozens of woven nests swaying from the branches often announce a colony of village weavers. Widespread across Tanzania, these lively birds thrive in open woodland, savannah, wetlands, farmland, gardens and areas around villages and safari lodges.
Breeding males are brightly coloured, with yellow plumage and a dark head contrasting with reddish-brown tones across the chest or nape. Females and non-breeding males are much less conspicuous, appearing olive-brown or yellowish with streaked upperparts.
Village weavers feed mainly on seeds and grain, but they also take fruit and insects. Invertebrates become particularly important during the breeding season, when adults need protein-rich food for their growing chicks.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a compact, sparrow-sized bird with a thick, conical bill and reddish eyes. In Tanzania, breeding males typically have a largely black head, rich yellow body and chestnut colouring around the upper breast or nape. Females are duller, with olive-brown upperparts, yellowish underparts and a pale eyebrow. Across much of eastern and southern Tanzania, these birds are generally associated with the subspecies Ploceus cucullatus nigriceps, whose breeding males often show a more extensively black head than village weavers elsewhere in Africa.
Village weavers are highly social and frequently breed in noisy colonies. Males construct hanging nests by knotting and weaving fresh strips of grass or leaves around a supporting branch. The completed nest forms a rounded chamber with an entrance underneath, helping protect the eggs from rain and some predators.
A male may build several nests during one breeding season, displaying beneath each newly completed structure by hanging from the entrance and fluttering his wings. Females inspect the workmanship before deciding whether to accept a nest, and an unsuccessful male may dismantle or replace one that fails to attract a mate.
Interesting facts
The males tie their first knots using only their bills and feet. They weave long strips of grass or leaves around a branch before building the enclosed nesting chamber.
Females inspect nests before accepting a mate. The position, strength and condition of the structure can all influence whether a male’s work is approved.
Colonies may contain large numbers of hanging nests. Several males can build in the same tree, creating a noisy cluster of active, unfinished and abandoned structures.