SYNCHRONY AND SOCIAL STIlMULATION IN COLONIES OF THE BLACK-HEADED WEAVER PLOCEUS CUCULLATUS AND VIEILLOT'S BLACK WEAVER MELANOPTERYX NIGERRIMUS

The paper is concerned with the relative importance of environmental changes and social stimulation in bringing about synchronized social breeding in Ploceus cucullatus and Melanopteryx (Ploceus) nigerrimus . Field work was carried out in central Uganda.
Observations on a single colony of each species extending over a complete breeding period showed that breeding started abruptly with the arrival of a large number of males and the construction of new nests. The majority of females arrived later within a relatively short space of time. Subsequently the number of birds and the amount of activity declined gradually. Nests were repeatedly destroyed and reconstructed in the same positions. In P. cucullatus an entrance funnel was generally added only after occupation of the nest by a female.
Studies extending over a large number of colonies showed that main breeding seasons correspond approximately with the two rainy seasons each year. Isolated colonies may be active between seasons, however.
Nest-building and breeding are highly synchronized within colonies. Uniform responses to rain may partly account for this synchrony, but fluctuations of activity in neighbouring colonies are relatively unsynchronized, suggesting that social stimulation is also an important factor. This is supported by direct observations of social interactions and by the fact that small colonies are relatively less successful than larger ones, apparently because the pair-formation process may fail in the absence of sufficient social stimulation.     

PARASITISM OF THE MASKED WEAVER PLOCEUS VELATUS ARUNDINACEUS

Williams, G. D., Coppinger, M. P. &; Maclean, G. L. 1989. Distribution and breeding of the Rock Pratincole on the Upper and Middle Zambezi river. Ostrich 60: 55–64.

The Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis was studied on the Upper and Middle Zambezi fromMayto November 1986 and from April to December 1987. Altogether 1938 Rock Pratincoles were counted; their distribution was closely associated with the availability of breeding habitat. The first birds were seen in mid-August and the species was still present in December. They nested in loose colonies on midstream rocks separated from the shore by flowing water. Sixty-four clutches (mean clutch size 1,8 eggs) were found and 44 eggs measured (mean size 29,2 x 21,5 mm). The eggs were usually laid on bare rock less than 1 m above the surface of the water and were sometimes in shade. Both sexes incubated and the frequency of nest relief was greatest during the hottest times of the day. The responses of incubating birds to overheating were bill-opening, panting, dorsal-feather erection, holding the wrists away from the body, and belly-soaking. Non-incubating birds drank often and did not seek shade. After hatching the young sought refuge in rock overhangs and crevices. The important breeding sites in the study area were identified and possible effects of future hydro-electric schemes are discussed.     

THE BREEDING OF HEUGLIN'S MASKED WEAVER AND ITS NESTING ASSOCIATION WITH THE RED WEAVER ANT

Grimes, L. G. 1973. The breeding of Heuglin's Masked Weaver and its nesting association with the Red Weaver Ant. Ostrich 44: 170–175.

The breeding season of Heuglin “s Masked Weaver Ploceus heuglini at Legon began in the latter half of the major dry season in January and February; continued through the main wet season and ceased in late August and for the rest of the year. The Accra colony had a similar breeding activity but in addition was active for a short period in November which had ended by mid-December. Although the majority of males formed colonies in which the number of males ranged from two to twenty, solitary breeding occurred equally frequently. Most males within the Legon colony, and possibly this is true for all colonies, were polygynous while most solitary males were monogamous. More nests were built by each male than the number of females involved in the polygyny.

A close nesting association with the Red Weaver Ant Oecophylla longinoda existed and the data suggested that the weaver sought the ant. Two cases were found of nesting association with the wasp Belanogaster grisens.     

NEST BUILDING AND NESTING BEHAVIOUR OF THE SOCIABLE WEAVER PHILETAIRUS SOCIUS

The behaviour of the Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius was studied briefly in South Africa in 1969, and more extensively in aviaries in southern California for over three years (1972-75). The species was bred successfully in captivity, apparently for the first time. Building of the compound nest in nature is reviewed in the light of preceding accounts, both by ourselves and by others. The optimal preference for nest materials was experimentally determined. Male and female appear identical and there seems to have been no previous detailed account of the behaviour of Sociable Weavers based on distinctively colour-ringed individuals of known sex. Among the sex differences in behaviour are the amount and nature of building, dominance, malespecific song, and sex differences in relative share of incubation and in the care of nestlings and fledglings. In addition, we describe in detail for the first time certain rarely observed behavioural acts including precopulatory courtship and copulation. Allopreening and water bathing are very rare in this species, and the birds do not take dust baths.     

INTRA-SEASONAL AND INTER-SEASONAL NEST RENOVATION IN THE MASKED WEAVER,PLOCEUS VEIATUS

Howman, H.R.G., & Begg, G.W. 1995 Intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal nest renovation in the Masked Weaver, Ploceus velatus. Ostrich 66:122-128.

This paper describes a series of observations relating to the intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal renovation of nests by a single male Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus, over a period of three breeding seasons (1991 to 1993). These data shed new light on the nest building techniques and nest building behaviour of the species and demonstrate that nest building can be flexible in the same individual. It is suggested that the partial demolition of nests and the renovation of nests would be advantageous because of the energetic savings.     

A STUDY OF THE SPECTACLED WEAVER

New species of haematozoa, namely Leucocytozoon ugwidi sp. nov. from the Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis and Haemoproteus skuae sp. nov. from the Subantarctic Skua Catharacta antarctica, are described. These are the first species to be recorded from the families Phalacrocoracidae and Stercorariidae, respectively.     

伤齿龙(Troodontids)筑巢产卵的行为

应用薄壳理论研究中国和北美西部出土的晚侏罗世至晚白垩世伤齿龙蛋以平卧和竖立两种方式埋在沙土中受压破损的抵抗能力 ,分析伤齿龙蛋在蛋窝中特有的排列方式与其蛋壳的抗失稳能力之间的关系。结果表明 ,由于伤齿龙蛋壳很薄 ,其抗失稳能力很差 ,如果这种蛋以横卧方式埋在沙土中就可能在很小载荷下因失稳屈曲而破裂 ;但是 ,如果把蛋竖立起来埋在沙土中 ,则蛋的抗破碎能力比把它们平放埋在沙土中要高出 4～ 5倍。从而认为 ,伤齿龙在筑巢产卵时把一个个蛋竖立起来埋在沙土中是为解决其低强度蛋壳在保护胚胎 ,避免外力损伤和在卵的孵化后期幼雏能够破壳而出这两方面的矛盾而采取的一种保护性措施 ,说明这些体征很像鸟类的兽脚类恐龙 ,其智商可能比人们想象的要高。在此基础上 ,探讨和复原了伤齿龙筑巢产卵的行为。     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE NESTING SITES AND NESTING BEHAVIOUR OF THE KITTLITZ'S SANDPLOVER CHARADRIUS PECUARIUS

Jackson, S. 1984. Predation by Pied Kingfishers and Whitebreasted Cormorants on fish in the Kosi estuary system. Ostrich 55:113-132.

Identification of otoliths from the regurgitated pellets of Pied Kingfishers Ceryle rudis and Whitebreasted Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo from the Kosi estuary system provides information on the relative proportions of fish species in the diets of the birds. This information can be related to the feeding habits, distribution and abundance of their prey. It is also an indication of the feeding range of the birds. There is little overlap between both the size classes and the species of fish taken by the two predators. This is because of the difference in size and fishing techniques of C. rudis and P. carbo, and of differences in their feeding ranges. Competition for food between the two populations of birds studied is minimized by these differences.     

NESTING OF THE PURPLE-THROATED CARIB HUMMINGBIRD

We present data on certain parts of the nesting biology of the Purple-throated Carib Humming- bird Eulampis jugularis on the island of Dominica, British West Indies. We watched two nests with eggs and young and a single nest under construction. Incubation was in short periods averaging about six minutes. Females at both nests with eggs continued adding material to the nest until the end of incubation. We suggest that this common practice among hummingbirds may insure that a limited amount of energy at the time of initial nest-building and egg-production is optimally apportioned between the two activities. Brooding ceased in one nest when the young were about 13 days old. Feeding rates stayed relatively constant at one to two per hour throughout the nearly complete nestling period in one nest. Average time per feeding declined, apparently as the female-young interaction became more efficient with maturation of the young. Nesting females foraged on both insects and nectar. We could not be sure what they were feeding the young. Defence of the nest varied with the position of the female and the type of intruder. The aggressive behaviour associated with defence varied according to the size and type of intruder. We concluded that for the one nest of Eulampis for which we had the most complete data, had there been three young, the female would have been unable to provide sufficient food to nourish them. However, the universal clutch size of two and nearly universal promiscuity in humming- birds is strong evidence that factors other than the ability of adults to feed more than two young are important in determining clutch size.     

THE THERMAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEST OF THE SOCIABLE WEAVER PHILETAIRUS SOCIUS: SUMMER OBSERVATIONS

Extending a previous study of the thermal significance of the nest of the Sociable Weaver carried out during the winter, we measured temperature and humidity in the matrix and chambers of a large nest of this species in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, South Africa, during the austral summer of December 1973. Air temperatures outside the nest ranged from 16 to 33.5°C but temperatures in occupied chambers varied over a range of only 7 or 8°C and remained well within the zone of thermal neutrality for a passerine bird of this size. Compared to outside air temperatures, those within the nest matrix were lower during the day and higher at night. Thus, the nest ameliorates the effects of external temperatures and allows maintenance inside the chambers of a range of temperature favourable to the birds. In winter we found up to five roosting adults per chamber, with some chambers left empty. In the same nest in summer we found no more than two adults per chamber but virtually all chambers were occupied. The principal mechanism for maintaining chambers within the zone of minimal energetic cost is changes in the number of birds in the nest chambers at night. Humidity inside the occupied and unoccupied chambers was somewhat higher in the former but always less than that of outside air in both cases. Air movement through the desiccated nest materials causes uptake by these materials of most of the water vapour introduced by the birds, and this moisture is dissipated to the outside during the day so that the nest remains dry. The highly social and colonial habits of the birds and their year-round occupancy and maintenance of the nest favour a system of opportunistic breeding that may be initiated by rainfall at any season. Larger nests provide the most favourable environment for energy conservation and successful reproduction. Even the largest nests, however, do not prevent predation during the warm season by snakes such as the Cape Cobra, which may consume all the eggs and young in all the chambers of a large nest. The effects of such heavy predation may be offset by the birds' capability for breeding during times too cold for reptile activity. It seems likely that in smaller nests such as those on telephone poles, lack of predation would favour summer breeding while thermal problems would limit breeding success in winter. In larger nests, breeding success may be lower in summer because of predation and higher in winter when reptile predation is lacking and thermal problems are minimized by the nest structure. The large nest not only makes possible the success of the Sociable Weaver in desert areas, but the nest could only exist in such areas and the species' range is thereby restricted. Higher humidity and heavier rainfall would cause fermentation within the nest mass, loss of its thermoregulatory advantages, and ultimately its decomposition and destruction. Therefore, the unique nesting system of the Sociable Weaver appears to be initially self-reinforcing and ultimately self-limiting.     

THE THERMAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEST OF THE SOCIABLE WEAVER PHILETAIRUS SOCIUS: WINTER OBSERVATIONS

The Sociable Weaver of southern Africa builds the largest of all birds' nests. Individual nests contain many chambers and may be occupied by a colony of a hundred or more pairs. Most aspects of the biology of this species are linked, either directly or indirectly, to the nest and its construction. One readily demonstrable function served by this enormous nest is the amelioration of the impact of low environmental temperatures.     

PARTITIONING OF NESTING SPACE AMONG SEABIRDS OF THE BENGUELA UPWELLING REGION

Duffy, D. C. & La Cock, G. D. 1985. Partitioning of nesting space among seabirds of the Benguela upwelling region. Ostrich 56:186-201.

An examination of nesting habitats used by the four main species of seabirds nesting on southern African islands (Jackass Penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis, Bank Cormorant P. neglectus and Cape Gannet Morus capensis) revealed relatively minor differences and extensive overlaps between species, primarily in subcolony size, steepness of nesting substratum, and proximity to cliffs. A weak dominance hierarchy existed; gannets could displace penguins, and penguins could displace cormorants. This hierarchy appeared to have little effect on partitioning of nesting space. Species successfully defended occupied sites in most cases of interspecific conflict, suggesting that site tenure by one species could prevent nesting by another. The creation of additional nesting space on Namibian nesting platforms did not increase guano harvests, suggesting that nesting space had not previously limited the total nesting population of Cape Cormorants, the most abundant of the breeding species, in Namibia.

While local shortages of nesting space may occur, populations of the four principal species of nesting seabirds in the Benguela upwelling region do not seem to have been limited by the availability of nesting space on islands.