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Birds of Wildcliff Nature Reserve
Dedicated to
plant and wildlife conservation in South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom
 Cape
Weaver (Ploceus capensis)
Description. Large
weaver with a long, pointed bill. Male less brilliant yellow than
other ‘golden’ weavers; face has a brown to orange wash and throat; eye
is pale. Female and non-breeding male are olive to olive-brown
above and pale yellow below; juvenile and female have dark eyes. At right, a weaver at Wildcliff.
Call. Male sings a
long sequence of chattering, swizzling and bubbly notes on one pitch,
lasts an average of 7-10 seconds. Alarm call is a harsh ‘chack’
and contact call is a softer, less strident ‘chack.’
Habitat. Open
country with some trees and permanent water, grassland and
fynbos. Endemic to South Africa.
Behavior. Flight
is fast and direct. Bathes frequently and often pants when the
temperature exceeds 35˚C. Largely sedentary but is prone to
wandering. Always found in flocks and forms large roosts
throughout the year; in winter may flock with other weavers and species
such as starlings. Forages mostly on the ground where it will
turn over stones and cow patties; will also search tree bark for
insects.
Diet. Nearly
equal parts animal and vegetable matter; termites, ants, grasshoppers,
beetles, flies, caterpillars and spiders. Eats seeds of Ehrhata
and other grasses, Acacia cyclops, wheat, barley, maize, peas, figs,
grapes, apricots and Pinus nuts. Also known to eat flowers and
drink nectar.
Predators. Nests
will be robbed by rats, African Harrier Hawk (Polyboroides typus), boomslang (Dispholidus typus) and have been
known to be parasitized by Diderick Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius). At
Wildcliff, we've observed nests raided by Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus).
Reproduction.
Colonial and highly polygynous; during the breeding season males are
very territorial and will chase off males from adjacent
territories. At territory boundaries males will sing, dance and
lunge aggressively at neighboring males. Male will build nest and
female will inspect it and will not solicit copulation until she has
decided on a nest which she will then line with fine grass, down and
feathers. Nest is an oblong kidney shape with entrance at bottom
and no entrance tunnel. Male will steal nesting material from
neighbors. Nests suspended from the end of a tree branch or among
reeds (Phragmites) and bulrushes (Typha). Placed <1m to
>10m over ground or water, and nests are often flooded when placed
over water. 2-5 eggs are laid which only the female will
incubate. Western Cape eggs are lain from July-November; Eastern
Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and interior Aug.-Feb. (sometimes until
Apr.). Incubation lasts 13-14 days. Normally female does
most feeding of young, predominantly insects, however, some males may
share almost equal feeding duties. On average nestling period
lasts 17 days.
On Wildcliff. They
build nests in the willow trees next to Talari.
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Cape weaver female
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Cape weaver male
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Links & References
- Wildcliff
Bird
List
- Birding
Resources Page
- A.J.F.K. Craig. Ploceus capensis. In: Fry, C.H., Keith S.
and Urban K, eds. The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London: Academic Press,
2000. Pp. 122-125.
- Sinclair, Ian, and Peter Ryan. Birds of Africa south
of the Sahara. Princeton: NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003.
- Sinclair, Ian, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton. Birds of
Southern Africa. 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,
2002.
Thanks to Conan Guard
for this page.
Based on sightings in
the immediate area, as many as 160
bird species may be seen at Wildcliff. If
you are interested in conducting an ornithological survey or study at
Wildcliff, please complete the Application Form on the research page.
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