Southern masked weaver

These beautiful and lively birds form colonies in suitable trees for their delicate hanging nests. The position of the nest on the very end of a narrow twig and the design with the opening at the bottom makes them very effective at keeping away predators and brood parasites which may threaten the eggs and young. The male pictured here is more brightly coloured than the female and does the majority of the nest building and maintenance. Regularly patrolling all of his nests and displaying to passing females.