White-headed Buffalo Weaver

The white-headed buffalo weaver or white-faced buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli) is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to East Africa. The buffalo part of its name derives from its habit of following the African buffalo, feeding on disturbed insects.  It prefers habitats such as savanna, and shrublands, but especially dry brush and acacia thickets.

Like most weavers, it is a gregarious bird which forages on the ground for insects, especially beetles and butterflies, fruits, and seeds, often in company with starlings. Foraging is often done in groups of 3–6 birds. They often perch in trees and hang upside-down and can be very noisy. Breeding and roosting is done in groups and they can be defensive against intruders, usually by making noise. Altercations are rarely fatal and usually vocal. Males display to females by spreading their wings to show their white wing-patches and red-orange tail-coverts.

Breeding pairs are monogamous and nests are built together. The breeding season is related to rainfall and varies according to local conditions. Nest materials are pushed together, not interwoven, to form an oval 570 millimetres wide. A short entrance tube opens downwards and is about 2 to 4 metres above the ground. Soft materials line the inner portions of the nest, which usually has several rooms, with defensive thorny branches on the outside. A large tree will have several of their nests, which other birds, such as the African pygmy-falcon, are known to use instead of building their own. The female incubates 3–5 greyish to pale blue eggs with red, brown and olive markings for 11–14 days. Both parents feed the chicks.

Source : Wikipedia