Scientific Name:
Ploceus cucullatus
Distribution
Burundi, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
Diet:
Mainly granivorous. Seeds, cereals, fruits (wild figs, cactus fruit), palm oil nuts, nectar, insects (such as beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, mantids, caterpillars).
Facts
Habitat: Savanna, riverine woodland, wetlands, cultivated areas, villages, gardens.
Incubation: 12 days / 2-4 eggs
Social structure: Large flocks
Weight: male 46gr max, female 37gr max
Dimensions: 17cm
Lifespan: ~14
Population in the wild: unknown, abundant and widespread
Threats: There are no substantial threats to this species.
IUCN Status: Least concern
Did you know that:
- More than 200 nests can be woven in a single tree with colonies exceeding1000 nests
- The nest is woven by the male within 11 hours, from strips torn from reed or palm leaves. The male often includes a ceiling layer of broad leaves. The female lines an accepted nest with leaves, grass-heads and some feathers.
- The males are polygynous with up to five females simultaneously on territory, females may also change mates.
- Young are primarily fed with insects
- Nests are predated by snakes including the mamba, monkeys, crows and hawks.