Birding Safaris in Africa: The black Weaver

The black Weaver, also known as the Spotted-backed Weaver or Black-headed Weaver is a species of bird found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been introduced to Hispaniola, Mauritius and Réunion. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages and hotel grounds. The nests are the round suspended objects. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward facing entrance which is suspended from a branch in a tree. 2-3 eggs are laid. This is a colonial breeder, so many nests may hang from one tree. Village Weaver feeds principally on seeds and grain, and can be a crop pest, but it will readily take insects, especially when feeding young, which partially redresses the damage to agriculture. The calls of this bird include harsh buzzes and chattering.

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Birds in Africa: The Red Throated Bee-Eater

The Red-throated Bee-eater is a stunning green, red and turquoise bee-eater. This bird is essentially West African but extends into Uganda along the north western region. Red-throated bee-eaters are species of bird in the meropidae family and the bird was scientifically named in 1817 by Veillot. You will find Red-throated Bee-eaters breeding in the tall sandbanks near Lake Albert, Kazinga channel, and on the Nile River below Murchison Falls.

The Red-throated Bee-eater calls with a variety of short musical yaps, churls and thrills, which are usually higher, pitched than those of white fronted bee-eaters. It lays 2-3 eggs and these are incubated by either sex.You can identify the bird by its distinctivered neck/throat. It has a sharp small black beak. The bird’s forehead is green and his lower head is brown in colour. The back feathers are green, the bird has brown breast bands and lower under part. The tail is a mixture of brown and green lines with brown being more dominant than green. This bird also has a blue lower under side. The legs are small and black and the bird has a white spot on the blue colour on its underside. Both males and females are similar, although the young ones are paler.

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