Southern Masked Weaver

The housing complex where we live here in Pretoria has seen a proliferation of Garden Acraea butterflies and their caterpillars over the past few weeks.

Garden Acraea in our garden (photo by Joubert)

These in turn have been a boon for the Diederik Cuckoos that visit our part of the world in summer. Caterpillars are a staple for them.

Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

Diederik with caterpillar (photo by Joubert)

Diederik male gifting a caterpillar to the female (photo by Joubert)

Diederik family squabble (photo by Joubert)

Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

Diederik Cuckoo that caught a Garden Acraea(photo by Joubert)

Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

An added bonus for the Diederikkies are the number of nests of Southern Masked Weavers to be found in our complex gardens. The Diederik Cuckoo is a brood parasite that is especially fond of using weavers as foster parents for their chicks. Of course this isn’t going down too well with the weavers, who frequently dive bomb any Diederikkie found exposed.

Southern Masked Weaver male trying to chase away a Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

These photographs were all taken by Joubert in the past couple of days. His examinations are over and for all intents and purposes his Grade 6 year is concluded – all that he still needs to do is collect his report card and certificates. The dramas of the Diederikkies and their neighbours has been great entertainment and Joubert quickly got very adept at using both stories of our townhouse as photographic hides from which to capture their antics. Of course I am very grateful that he loves photography so much rather than vegetating on the couch with tv games.

Ploceus velatus

The Southern Masked Weaver is a common inhabitant of savannas, woodlands, grasslands, riverine thickets in arid areas, and suburban gardens, feeding on insects, nectar and seeds.

The breeding season stretches through spring and summer, when the males don their brilliant black-and-yellow plumage and try to breed with as many females as possible, attracting them with neat nests weaved of grass or palm throngs on thin twigs or reeds (or wires and fences), usually hanging over water. Southern Masked Weavers normally move around singly or in small groups, but breed colonially. Only the female incubates the clutch and rears the chicks.

The IUCN considers the Southern Masked Weaver to be of “least concern” as they are common all over their distribution range, which covers Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and all of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.