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TRUE WEAVERS

Many species of weaver are found in the Park, some forming large swarms whose incessant chattering creates a terrific din. As their name implies, weavers construct nests of strips of plant material elaborately intertwined to form the most complex and elegant home built by any bird. The nest is used only once, so that each year the laborious building process must be repeated. Usually the nests are suspended from reeds or branches near rivers or pools of permanent water.

Among the Park's species are the spectacled weaver, red-headed weaver, spotted-backed weaver, Cape weaver, golden weaver and the masked weaver.
Of these the Spotted-backed Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is probably the most abundant. They are common along all the main rivers and streams. Spotted-backed weavers, which feed on seeds and small insects, are usually seen in large flocks.

Although not always recognized as weavers by many visitors, there are other common or fairly common birds which belong to this group. These include the red-billed quelea, red bishop, Cape widow, golden bishop, white-winged widow, and the long-tailed widow. Most of these prefer open grassy veld and are common in the plains of the central area. Large flocks are often startled by approaching cars and take off en masse from the ground where they have been searching for seeds or small insects.

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