Weaver news

Cape Weaver movements on the Cape Peninsula

2010-03-09 (49)


Most resident passerines on the Cape Peninsula seem to move very little, based on ringing several thousand birds over several years. The exceptions are nectarivores and Cape Weavers, all of which show extensive movements, probably in relation to food supplies. Two maps of Cape Weaver movements shows where the weavers were caught and recaptured during 2008.
The movements include adult birds as well as birds ringed as chicks. For 375 recaptured Cape Weavers, the maximum distance moved on the Cape Peninsula is 46.6 km, and the average 1.2 km (excluding same site retraps, the average becomes 4.2 km for 106 records).
Similar data for the Southern Masked Weaver illustrates the limited movement of many other species. For 233 recaptured Southern Masked Weavers, the maximum distance moved on the Cape Peninsula is 5.8 km, and the average 0.6 km (excluding same site retraps, the average becomes 2.3 km for 63 records).