Spotted in Kumba: The Village Weaver

Here's a popular one for those of you who have been keeping up with my bird-watching catalogue - the Village Weaver - also known locally as the Palm Bird. Both names have everything to do with their skill at weaving fancy nests out of palm frond strips, grass and leaves. The Village weaver is one of the most abundant species of birds in this area. They often colonise fruit trees near people's homes in huge numbers, and are considered to be quite pestilential because of the amount of noise and droppings they produce. The more prominently coloured males move in first, to weave their detailed nests, then they hang upside-down at the entrance of their nest, fluttering their wings and singing vibrantly to attract interested females who might be impressed by their finished work. These birds are known to attract tree snakes who are after their eggs and/or chicks during the nesting season. When I was a child, the large mango tree in our front yard became something of a peril once these little busy-bodies settled in and turned it into their home. The shade of the tree became useless for playing Tabala (Cameroonian hop-scotch) once the little white and gray missiles started raining down and the green tree snakes which occasionally lost their footing(chuckles), started landing in the middle of our afternoon marathon games. I'm sure most people who grew up in Cameroon can immediately recognise these birds. These yellow weavers are so abundant here that I'm tempted to nominate them for the spot of national bird!

Enjoy...