Scientific name:
Philetairus socius

Natural spread:
Africa

the South African Siedelweber builds the biggest community-nests, that are known among the birds. They differ from the other types of the subfamily sparrow-weavers, whose nests like a retort look and have two entrances, with it. Here, the birds live the whole year, so that the installation as well as is used as brood-chamber or also as hit-chamber. The Siedelweber live in monogamy.

Nistkolonie If a new colony is established, up to 100 brood-pairs gather and erect a domed roof in a tree (recently also at telegraph-masts) from wide grass-stalks at first together, that they find in the dry-areas; as well, brushwood serves as construction-material. The actual nest-chamber then positions each pair for itself under it and defends it opposite other brood-pairs. Under one single such roof, one can find up to 100 such nest-chambers; however, the average is with 20-30. The community-nests often are years-long in operation. Also the roof is reinforced again and again on that occasion so that some nests increased on a diameter by 5 m in the course of the time. One can introduce oneself easily which happens with a tree if it must carry several Nistkolonien simultaneously: Often, it is completely covered and collapses under the load someday, so that a new colony must be established. If one asks for the sense of such an installation, it brings along a saving of Nistmaterial in certain sense of course, in the foreground, however, the effective protection stands against enemies and weather-influences. Opposite enemies, the whole colony holds together and defends its installation together. Interestingly the Siedelweber doesn't disturb it if other bird-types take over in free-become Nistkammern.

Shape The birds long by 14 cm immediately are colored insignificantly dun in both sexes; the underside is lighter; the throat and some of white hesitated feathers at the flanks is black.