To weave a home, to woo the girl, to start a family in the trees: This is the life of a male weaver bird—champion textile designers and indefatigable courters.
A Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) beginning the entrance to a nest in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by: Derek Keats.
There are over a hundred species of weaver birds, mostly in Africa & Asia, most of which build intricately woven nests. Home-building is done exclusively by males hoping to attract a female. Depending on the species and available building materials, nests may be constructed with plant fibers or twigs. In a pinch, the resourceful weaver bird will also use string or twine. Grasses are often preferred for their pliability and reliable abundance-one nest requires about a thousand strands.
A weaver bird in Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka. Photo by: Davida de la Harpe.
The nest begins with a single strand, knotted to a branch with beak and claw. After that, the technique is just like any other weaving pattern-the strands are threaded through others at opposing angles. From the first knot, an entrance is built. The aperture is important. It must be large enough for the birds to enter, but small enough to restrict predators from entering. The ideal design has a long tube that connects to a chamber, which will optimistically serve as the nursery.
A weaver bird in Salem, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Photo by: G Bayliss.
When the nest is complete, the male will announce an open house by fluttering his wings. He invites a female home and hopes she approves. If she does, there will be eggs in the nest within days. If she doesnt, the nest is usually abandoned. A male will often make multiple nests over the course of the mating season. According to the BBC, most weaver males never become parents.
A weaver bird checks on chicks in the nest, Camp Okavango, Botswana. Photo credit: George Lamson.
Tha majority of species build individual love nests, but others, such as the sparrow weavers of Africa, will weave aggregate nests in communities with hundreds of other weaver bird pairs.
A weaver bird building a nest at the Nkorho Bush Lodge, Sabi Sands, South Africa. Photo by: Tim Ellis.
At the Nkorho Bush Lodge in Sabi Sands, South Africa, a weaver bird is constructing a nest. Photo by: Tim Ellis.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, a Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) is starting to enter a nest. Photo by: Derek Keats.
A single strand is used to start the nest, and it is knotted to a branch with a beak and claw. After that, the method is the same as any other weaving pattern: the strands are inserted at right angles into each other. From the first knot, an entrance is built. The aperture is important. It needs to be both big enough to let the birds in and small enough to keep out predators. The optimal layout features a lengthy tube that leads to a room that, hopefully, will be used as the nursery.
When the nest is complete, the male will announce an open house by fluttering his wings. He invites a female home and hopes she approves. If she does, there will be eggs in the nest within days. If she doesnt, the nest is usually abandoned. A male will often make multiple nests over the course of the mating season. According to the BBC, most weaver males never become parents.
Most species construct single-love nests, but some—like the African sparrow weavers—will construct aggregate nests in groups with hundreds of other weaver pairs.
Built from mud, the dome-shaped nests can be completed in as little as five days, but they typically take several months to complete.
Using its bill to drill a hole in the sand of a river embankment, they construct their nests by tunneling through the sand with their feet to form a tunnel that can reach a length of one meter.
In response, the cactus releases a sap that eventually solidifies into a hard shell that shields the nest and keeps the cactus from drying out. Native Americans of the Seri tribe used the shells, which are referred to as “boots,” to carry or store water. In Arizona, it is forbidden to gather boots from the wild.
Gila woodpeckers can be found in the Sonoran Desert scrub regions of western Mexico and southwest America.
The female bird will assist the male in finishing the construction of the pouch-shaped nest, which he starts by fastening plant fibers and fluffy seeds to the tips of willow or birch trees.
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