Ploceus castanops
The Northern Brown-throated Weaver (Ploceus castanops) is a vibrant and highly social passerine bird belonging to the family Ploceidae, renowned for its intricate nest-building skills. Breeding males are unmistakable with their bright yellow head, nape, and underparts, contrasted by a prominent black mask extending through the eye to the lores and chin, and a distinctive rich chestnut-brown throat and breast band. Their back and wings are olive-green with darker streaking. Females and non-bre...
This species primarily inhabits wetlands, papyrus swamps, reed beds, and tall grass bordering lakes and rivers, often extending into adjacent cultivated lands.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on grass seeds and cereal grains, but also consumes a significant amount of insects (e.g., beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars), especially during the breeding season to feed young. Foraging is done by gleaning from vegetation or the ground.
Northern Brown-throated Weavers are diurnal and highly social, forming large, noisy flocks outside the breeding season that often include other weaver species. Males are polygynous, dedicating considerable effort to building multiple elaborately woven, roughly spherical nests, typically suspended...
The Northern Brown-throated Weaver is resident throughout a significant portion of East and Central Africa. Its primary breeding range encompasses Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and southern South Sudan. This species does not undertake long-distanc...
Least Concern
- The male Northern Brown-throated Weaver is a master architect, capable of weaving intricate, roughly spherical nests from grass strips and plant fibers in just a few days. - Males are polygynous, often building several display nests within their territory to attract multiple mates. - A female's...