like the actual weaver-birds, the Widavögel position very artistic nests, that deviate in the building plan, however. Also through morphological characteristics (Z). B. this strongly shortened outer Handschwinge, they let themselves delimit well.
26 types (in 7 types) of the weaver-birds are considered one of the Widavögeln today. As more originally, the types should be to be looked at short-tail-weavers (Brachyope), blood-beak-weavers (Quelea), redhead-weavers (Queleopsis) and beautiful-weavers (Foudia); they live in monogamy. Show the Widas I. on the other hand.S. (Type Coliuspasser, the fire-weavers (type Euplectes) and the Tahaweber (type Taha) a much more distinctive Balzverhalten and lives in many-marriage. Here, also the sparrow-good one differs, the female similar, silence-dress of the males considerably from the mainly together with-black brood-dress, that is marked by strongly extended tail-feathers.
Spread, way of life With exception of the beautiful-weavers, that occurs originally only on Madagascar and the neighboring islands, the spread-areas are limited on Africa south from the Sahara. The beautiful-weavers joined the timberland moreover, while up the other types open grass - and brushland-ships - as far as into the plateaus, or reed, and tube-areas prefer. The food is composed from grass-seeds and grains and is supplemented through insects.
Outside the incubation, most Widavögel are to be found in big swarms and restrained itself as line or migratory birds. The swarms don't dissolve in some cases also with starting of the reproductive-period. So, the blood-beak-weaver (Quelea quelea, 12 cm of length) Brutkolonien with uncommon forms much, yes millions individual-Sterns. In the dry-times, the swarms switch to the grain-fields and can prepare considerable damage here. Therefore, the birds are fought to strong extent. Also other types are considered pests mainly from the view of the human being.
Perform courtship display The males of the Widas I..S. and the fire-weaver defends its brood-precincts very vigorously. With it perform courtship display is lured the females by extended dances at the half-done nests. The birds resist the neck-plumage, tremble with the wings, duck strikingly down or let its extended tail-feathers get the validity fully in the pending flight. With the Hahnschweifwida or Sakabula (Coliuspasser progne), the tail can gain a length of 40 cm alone after all. Often, it is accompanied perform courtship display by hissing tones.
The precinct-owner shows a lured female the nest-installation and masterly the nest-construction after carried out combination with her together. If the select female began with brooding, the male has looked again for the company of the next female long ago.
The males of the Leierschwanzwida (Coliuspasser jacksoni, length in the silence-dress 18 cm, in the brood-dress 30 cm) thin out themselves very fast in the spring and position dance-places. Here the females appear exclusively to the mating and presumably even must take care alone of the nest-construction.
Scientific name: