The male red-headed weaverbird makes a large nest by weaving grasses together. These strong nests may last for a year and can be used many times.
The giant communal nest of the social weavers (Philetairus socius) of southwestern Africa often reaches a height of 10 feet (3 metres); the nest is usually situated in a large acacia tree and may contain more than 100 separate nest chambers, with openings at the nest’s bottom. Cassin’s weaver (Malimbus cassini) of the lowland rain forests of central Africa builds a hanging nest of long palm-leaf strips that has a wide entrance extending down more than two feet. The red-billed weaver, or quelea (Quelea quelea), of the African savannas can sometimes become an agricultural pest; it has been reported nesting in colonies covering several square miles of trees and harbouring millions of birds. Bishop birds (Euplectes) weave nests with a side entrance, generally in wet grassy areas. (See bishop.) Whydahs (Vidua) are social parasites that lay their eggs in the nests of other species of weavers, which then raise the whydahs’ young.
Other birds of the family Ploceidae, subfamily Passerinae, are called social weaver. Birds called the buffalo weaver comprise another ploceid subfamily, Bubalornithinae. For the hooded weaver, an estrildid, see mannikin.
Credit : Britannica
Picture Credit : Google
