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Black-breasted Weaver

Finches, Sparrows & Buntings

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ploceus benghalensis

Basic stats

Habitat

Wetland; enclosed nests of reeds and mud in scattered groups of 4–5, sometimes larger colonies

Clutch size

3–4 white eggs

Size

About 15cm

The male in breeding plumage has a brilliant golden-yellow crown and a variable amount of black on the head and breast: some males have an entirely black head, apart from the yellow crown, and breast, while others have a whitish throat or an entirely buffy-white face with a black band separating it from the fulvous-white underparts. In the non-breeding male and the female the crown is brown like the rest of the upperparts and the black pectoral band is less developed (Wikipedia, general species account).

Like other weavers, the males build an enclosed nest from reeds and mud, and visiting females choose a mate at least partly on nest quality; once the female accepts and permits copulation, he quickly completes the nest and she lays inside, while he immediately starts a second nest nearby to attract other females, occasionally a third or very rarely a fourth. The entrance tube is somewhat shorter than the baya weaver's, and the clutch is three or four white eggs. Breeding takes place between June and September (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What habitat does the Black-breasted Weaver live in?
Wetland; enclosed nests of reeds and mud in scattered groups of 4–5, sometimes larger colonies
How many eggs does the Black-breasted Weaver lay?
3–4 white eggs
How big is the Black-breasted Weaver?
About 15cm
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