Weaver news

First PHOWN record for Cinnamon Weaver

2012-09-27 (272)


The Cinnamon Weaver is similar to the Chestnut Weaver but their ranges do not overlap. The Cinnamon Weaver occurs in Sudan and South Sudan on the Nile floodplain. It is found near rivers in tall grassland, with some bushes and scattered trees. It is gregarious and feeds on seeds. The Cinnamon Weaver is colonial and builds a roughly globular nest, with the entrance at the side near the top. Nest material includes grass blades and strips torn from sorghum leaves. The eggs vary in ground colour and markings.

There is one published note on the breeding of this species. GR Cunningham-van Someren (1971, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 91:150-151) found a colony at Es Suki and Shaseina, SE of Sennar, in Sept 1961 and Sept 1963. The colonies were in tall sorghum, over water. Four colonies were found with an several hundred nests per colony. The author described the species as possibly monogmous, similar to the highly colonial Chestnut Weaver.

This week Tom Jenner, Stephen Blight and Terry Barry submitted the first PHOWN record for this species. The colony was a small one, with 8 nests, and at least three nests were active. Details and photos of this record are viewable at phown 3054, including the photo (above) of an adult male.