Richard de Cauwer has submitted the first PHOWN record for Yellow-mantled Widowbird. He found a half-built nest in wet grassland in Katanga, DRC. A male and female were nearby, the female with nest material. The breeding period for this species in DRC is unknown, but fits with the season in nearby Zambia of Dec-March. Usually the nest framework is woven by the male, and the female continues to add dry grass lining during incubation. In Richard's record, the female seems to be adding nest lining before egg laying. This species is polygynous, with up to five females per male, although some males will have 1 female or even none at times. Click on the photo to see full details. Richard has also sent many other interesting PHOWN records from DRC!
Bishops and widowbirds generally hide their nests in grass, so they are harder to find than the typical Ploceus nests, with the exception of the Southern Red Bishop as there nests are built in reeds and are easy to find. This is reflected in the current number of PHOWN records in the table below. Five species do not have records yet, and the others still need many more records!
