The above is based on Weaver Wednesday 2, a weekly series about the discovery of each weaver species.
This species text first appeared as on n/a.
1. Basic biology
Identification. The male is golden yellow with a dark eye. The female is dull coloured but has a distinctive two-toned bill colour.
Male Ruvu Weaver
Female Ruvu Weaver
Distribution. The Ruvu Weaver has been recorded on the Ruvu River up to 100 km upstream, on the lower Wami River, and from Lake Tagalala to the Rufiji River in the Selous Game Reserve.
Habitat. It is a fairly common species of riverine habitats.
Food. Not recorded but presumably seeds and insects.
Breeding. Nests are placed in bushes, bamboos, or in Phragmites along rivers. One colony had 15 nests in a tree [new record of 4 nests in a colony]. The nest is kidney-shaped with an entrance below, and attached from the roof directly to stems. The nest appears less tightly woven and is not as smooth on the outside as in Yellow Weavers, rather resembling the nests of its closest relatives xanthopterus, bojeri and castaneiceps.
Male starting new nest in reeds
The male displays by hanging below a nest, with wings extended and flapping rapidly, tail fanned, and body swaying back and forth, while singing (ebird and notes in ML).
Two eggs were measured as 19-21 x 14-15 mm. An egg from one nest was light blue with very faint mottling, and an egg from a second nest was light brown, also with very faint mottling.
The above is based on a paper (Oschadleus HD, Andersson A, Baker NE. 2021. History and biology of the reassigned Ruvu Weaver Ploceus holoxanthus. Scopus 41(1): 1–12.) [and new ebird data as above, also here].
2. Breeding facts
Pair bond
Probably polygynous
Breeding season
Unknown; active display at colony in March
Nest site
bushes, bamboos, or in Phragmites
Nest building
probably woven by male
Colony size
one record of 15 nests [another of 4]
Clutch size
unknown
Egg colour
light blue with very faint mottling, or light brown, also with very faint mottling.
Egg size
19-21 x 14-15 mm (n-2)
Incubation
probably by female
Chicks and nestling period
unknown
Breeding information based on above paper.
3. Voice
The song of the male is a series of wheezy, twangy notes.