THE masked weaver is a common resident throughout Southern Africa found in a wide range of habitats, including shrubland , savanna, grassland , inland wetlands and semi desert.
It is often seen in suburban gardens and parks.
Their call is a harsh swizzling and it also utters a sharp ‘chuk’ alarm note.
The males build a succession of nests woven from reed, palm or grass. They take nine to 14 hours to build a nest and each male will build an average of 25 nests per season.
When a female selects a nest, she lines it with soft grass and feathers. The male then destroys the other nests he has built to attract the female. He adds an entry tunnel to the nest she wants.
Each male has several females during the breeding season. Only the best nest builders attract females and it may only be in this third year that he perfects his skill.
The nest is built in a tree, often over water but sometimes in suburbia. This weaver also nests in reeds.
They are usually seen singly or in small groups. Their food is insects, seeds and nectar. They enjoy feeding tables in gardens.
The masked weaver lays two to five eggs of various colours. This helps them detect any parasite eggs of other birds. The foreign eggs are then ejected by the nest owners.
Incubation is usually 12 days and they are fledglings for 21 days.
The Zulu name is iGeleja .
And Afrikaans swartkeelgeelvink.
