Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis

Distribution and plumage of subspecies. Three subspecies of the Spectacled Weaver are currently recognised (see map above, based on Birds of Africa):
P. o. ocularis in eastern South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique south of the Limpopo River (see green on map above).
P. o. suahelicus in coastal Kenya and highlands east of the Rift Valley, eastern Tanzania, Malawi, eastern Zambia, eastern Zimbabwe, and Mozambique north of the Limpopo River (see yellow on map above). It is smaller than the nominate subspecies.
P. o. crocatus is found in SE Nigeria and Cameroon east (discontinusouly) to South Sudan and Ethiopia, East Africa west of the Rift Valley, western Zambia, Angola and south to northern Botswana (see red on map above). The head of both sexes is less chestnut than in the other races.

Habitat. The Spectacled Weaver is found in open woodland, forest margins, bushy thickets, wooded valleys, along riverine woodland, savanna with sparse trees, and gardens.

Food. The Spectacled Weaver is mainly insectivorous, including crickets, moth caterpillars, beetle larvae; also spiders, centipedes, small crabs; geckos 3 cm long; berries; whole flowers; and nectar. The typical call while feeding is a characteristic descending series of whistles,’tee-tee-tee-tee”.

Breeding. The Spectacled Weaver is a solitary species, probably a permanent pair bond, and pairs often nest at the same site every year. Sometimes nests from previous seasons hang near new nests. The nest is usually built by the male but sometimes the female helps. Unlike polygynous weavers which often build a nest in a day or two, the Spectacled Weaver may take 2-3 weeks to complete its nest.

The entrance tunnel is usually 10-20 cm long but may be more than 60 cm long. Nest height varies from 1-7 m above the ground. Egg laying may be as long as two months after the nest is completed. Sometimes a pair will raise two broods in a season – the same nest or a new nest may be used. Beryl Fraser submitted a great sequence of photos of a Spectacled Weaver pair that raised two broods in the same nest.

It is an occasional host of the Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius.

The oldest Spectacled Weaver to date was a female recaptured several times up to 12 years 7.5 months later (see here).

Breeding season
Dec in Cameroon, Oct in Ethiopia; in DRCongo, Apr-May and Aug-Sept in NE, Sept in S, Jan-Mar in Katanga; Dec-Apr in Rwanda, Feb,Sept (peaks Apr-May and Aug) in Uganda, Aug in Kenya; Jan, Mar, Apr, Jun-Jul and Oct-Nov in Tanzania; Mar and Aug-Sept in Angola, Sept-Mar in Zambia and Malawi, Sept-Nov in N Mozambique and Oct-Apr in S, Sept-Mar in Zimbabwe and Oct-Jan in South Africa

Nest site
typically suspended from tip of pendulous vegetation, including exotic plants such as Bougainvillea in gardens, 1-7 m (usually 3-4.5 m) above ground, in Okavango Delta (Botswana) attached to side of reed stem, elsewhere suspended from tops of elephant grass, papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) or Phragmites reeds

Nest building
built by male, watched by female until she adds lining prior to egg-laying, occasionally building shared, or female participates irregularly

Colony size
Usually solitary, but often builds at same site in successive seasons, with old nests still present; constructs up to four nests close together in one season

Clutch size
1-4 eggs, average 2.6 (South Africa)

Egg colour
white or bluish-green with dull grey or reddish-brown spots, sometimes concentrated at thick end (in South Africa, pinkish ground colour common)

Egg size
average size of 113 eggs 21.9 x 14.8 mm (South Africa)

Incubation
incubation by both sexes, sitting very tight (can be captured on nest), nest seldom left unattended, period 13-14 days

Chicks and nestling period
for first 1-2 days chicks brooded by female and male brings food, thereafter both adults provision young, initially faecal sacs removed by adults, later young defecate down nest-tunnel, nestling period 15-19 days