During 2009 I ringed some 500 weaver chicks on the Cape Peninsula to see where they go. Southern Masked Weaver chick BE58350 was ringed along the Ottery River near Springfield Rd (blue square on map). It was 1 of 2 chicks in a nest in bamboos. It was recaptured 1.5 years later at Strandfontein, 8km south of where it had hatched. It was recaptured again precisely 5 years 5 months 5 days after being ringed, at Intaka Island, 20km north of Strandfontein.

See details of the recaptures here.

See details of the project on ringing weaver chicks here. Funding for the ringing of the chicks was received from the African Bird Club Conservation Fund and the Cape Tercentenary Foundation.

The oldest Southern Masked Weaver that was ringed as a chick was recaptured after 11 years 5.5 months in Johannesburg within 2 km of its hatching site (ring 58213057). This weaver had been ringed by Clive Hunter who conducted a detailed study of the breeding of Southern Masked Weavers.