WEAVER-BIRD, a bird of the family Plocedie remarkable for their nests. The fam ily is a large one and is confined to the warmer parts of the Old World, Africa being particu larly rich in species. Weaver-birds closely re semble large finches, with somewhat elongated bodies, moderate wings, which have the outer primary quill better developed than in the Fringillida, long tails, and very bright plumage, the latter often varied in the breeding season. Yellow and yellowish red are the prevailing tints, but species occur in which black, red, white or gray predominates. The weaver-birds are extremely social, and many of the species live in large colonies during the period of in cubation.
The nests of the various species differ con siderably in shape and general structure, some (as the genus Oriolinus), building a separate nest for the male, while the femalesits in an other on her eggs, till relieved by her mate; others again Contain more than one chamber, as that of the golden weaver-bird (Plocests gat bula); while the social weaver-birds (Philteterus socius) construct an umbrella-like roof, under which from 800 to 1,000 separate nests have been found. But in all cases fibres, slender
twigs or blades of grass are the materials em ployed, the whole being tightly woven, after toying been rendered more flexible and ad hesive by the application of saliva. In some cases the birds of a pair take positions on op posite sides of the structure and the fibres are passed through and through from one to the other. The nests themselves consist of a more or less globular lortion, elongated into a tube below, with the entrance at the bottom or at the side. They are very generally suspended at the extremities of hranchn, and often over water, probably as affording security against monkeys, snakes and other enemies. The Mahali weaver (P. taha) is said to insert thorns into its nest, as a further protection aminst marauders. A Philippine species (P. Philip pians) builds flask-shaped nests of fine roots suspended mouth downward by long ropes of similar construction from the boughs of trees. Consult Bartlett, 'Monograph of the Weaver birds' (Maidstone IN.:).