Species Fact Profile: Taveta Golden Weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps)

                                                             Taveta Golden Weaver

Ploceus castaneiceps (Sharpe, 1890)

Range: East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania)

Habitat: Savannah, Open Woodland, Wetland

Diet: Seeds, Grasses, Grains, Insects

Social Grouping:  Large Colonies

Reproduction:  Polygynous.  Males build elaborate nests (usually over water), woven from reeds and grasses.  Females select males based on the construction of the nest.  Lay 2-3 dark green, glossy eggs, incubate for two weeks.  Fledge at two weeks of age

Lifespan: 20 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

•       Males are golden in color, brighter on the breast and duller on the back, with a greenish tint on the wings and tail and some reddish-orange coloration on the face.  The beak is black.  Females are an olive green color with pale streaks
•       Measure about 10 centimeters in length, weigh 18-24 grams
•       Gather in large colonies, most likely to help monitor for predators.  Several birds may build their nests in the same tree in close proximity to each other.  Sometimes, multiple birds may work together to build a single large, elaborate nest with multiple chambers
•       Members of the songbird family, though their vocalizations are not considered pleasing to human ears and are often described as "harsh" and "tuneless"

      Zookeeper's Journal: Weaverbirds (of which the Taveta is one of the most commonly encountered species in zoos) may be small, but they are endlessly fascinating as exhibit birds.  Highly social animals always provide a lot of opportunities for guests to observe interesting behavior - with multiple animals in an exhibit, there's almost always a good chance that one the birds is doing something interesting.  In the case of this species, what that "something" is is probably weaving.  Even in the safety of a zoo exhibit, where snakes and other predators are less likely to be able to access eggs and young, weaverbirds will continue to construct their elaborate hanging nests, woven from strips of grass, or whatever materials the exhibit and the keepers provide.  Recently, I was able to watch several birds in an aviary working on their nests, all of which were at various stages of construction.  Some were basically complete, while some were simply a few braids of grass on a branch, seemingly insubstantial.  It was fascinating to watch the birds eagerly working away, mindful of the attentions of their female flockmates.  Besides the cool behavior that goes into them, weaver nests are one of the details that I remember the best from time spent in East Africa - seeming the trees festooned with them was a reminder of where I really was, as opposed to some fancy zoo exhibit.  Not surprisingly, some zoos use artificial weaver nests as decorations for their exhibits to help evoke the ambiance of the savannah.