Search

Baya Weavers: Nest building and after

on 6th June 2008

James Wong a.k.a. Jw73 spent three years documenting the nesting behaviour of the Baya Weavers (Ploceus philippinus) using 500mm and 600mm telephoto lenses so as not to disturb the birds unnecessarily and shares his images in this post.

The male (top) appears to do most of the work, collecting strips of grass and weaving the pieces into a ‘helmet’ stage with a perch at the base (above left). Lumps of mud are collected and placed in the lower portion of the nest in an effort to stabilise it. He then invites a female to inspect it and if she is satisfied he will proceed to complete the nest (above right).

The female will enter the uncompleted nest to lay her eggs while the male will add on the downward-pointing entrance tube (above left). It would appear that incubation and brooding is by the female alone. Once the eggs are hatched, the female will forage for insects to feed the chicks (above right and below).

This post is a cooperative effort between www.naturepixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

All images by James Wong a.k.a. Jw73.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives

Overall visits (since 2005)

Live visitors
620
7252
Visitors Today
51600850
Total
Visitors

Clustrmaps (since 2016)