AFRIKAANS NAME: Kaapse wewer
LENGTH: 17.5 cm
WEIGHT: 46 g
Introduction:
Common endemic resident. Larger weaver with a long pointed bill and pale eye. Breeding male distinguished from female spectacled weaver by large size and black eye-line not extending behind the eye. Orange-brown wash over the face and throat. Non-breeding male is duller and without chestnut wash on face and throat. Female has dark brown eyes, rarely cream and duller than the male, chin and throat is creamy and the breast has a yellow wash. The bill is brown. Juvenile is similar to the female but has brown eyes.
Habitat:
Grassland and fynbos, coastal thickets and farmland. Often along river courses.
Diet:
Insects, plant material, seeds, fruit and nectar.
Behaviour:
Can be heard making a swizzling sound when making nests and breeding.
Breeding:
Polygamous and colonial. Builds nests in both trees and reedbeds, often over water. Commonly parasitized by Diderick cuckoo.
Call:
Similar species:
Female Spectacled weaver.
Distribution:
Found throughout the Eastern Cape.