Picture of the day

The village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae, found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, and frequently forms large, noisy colonies in towns, villages and hotel grounds. This male, of the subspecies P. c. bohndorffi, was photographed building a nest in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Male birds make elaborate nests, each incorporating about 300 strips of palm or grass leaves that they have torn off the plant and transported individually. These are woven together to form roofed, dangling structures with the entrance at the bottom. The only involvement of the female is in the creation of the lining of the egg-laying cup.Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp