Ploceus ocularis
Looking very much like a masked bandit, the Spectacled Weaver is a species preferring moist, dense habitats ranging from riverine forests to forest edges and occasionally well-wooded parks and gardens. They are omnivores, feeding on insects, seeds, fruit and nectar.
Although they are not very social with birds of their own species, only ever being seen either in pairs or small family groups, Spectacled Weavers often join foraging groups of other birds. Contrary to most other weavers, Spectacled Weavers form monogamous pairs, possibly for life. The male weaves the characteristic nest with a long downward-facing entrance tunnel, most often hanging from the tip of a branch over water. They breed during spring and summer, raising clutches of up to 4 chicks that hatch after a two week incubation. The chicks leave the nest at about two weeks old and become independent around a month after hatching. Adults are about 15cm long and weigh around 30g.
According to the IUCN, Spectacled Weavers are considered to be of least concern. They have a very patchy distribution over east, central and southern Africa. In South Africa they occur in a band along our eastern borders and adjacent regions from the coastal Eastern Cape to the Limpopo Valley.
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