Great-billed weaver
| Great-billed weaver | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Great-billed weaver ( Ploceus megarhynchus ), male in Uttarakhand |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ploceus megarhynchus | ||||||||||||
| Hume , 1869 |
The big-billed weaver ( Ploceus megarhynchus , syn. Loxia megarhynchus ) belongs to the genus of the bunting weaver ( Ploceus ) within the family of weaver birds (Ploceidae ).
The Latin Artzusatz comes from ancient Greek μέγα mega , German , tall ' and ancient Greek ῥύγχος rhynchus , German , Beak' .
The bird is found in northern India and Nepal , in the valley of the Ganges and Brahmaputra .
The distribution area includes moist habitats with high grass cover and interspersed trees, areas that are often flooded during the season.
features
The species is 15 cm tall, the male weighs 34 to 40 g, the female 30 to 34 g. When brooding, the male has a light yellow head and cap with brown ear-covers and dark spots on the chest. The broad-based, strong beak is characteristic. The back is striped dark brown, the rump yellow. The underside is light golden yellow. The female is pale canary-yellow or brownish-yellow on the head and cap, the rest of the plumage is brown with dark stripes, the underside is pale canary-yellow or dirty-white. Annual males look like females. In the plain dress, the sexes do not differ and are very similar to the Baja weaver .
Geographic variation
The following subspecies are recognized:
- P. m. megarhynchus A. O. Hume , 1869, nominate form - Northern India ( Uttarakhand , Uttar Pradesh ) and adjacent extreme southwest of Nepal
- P. m. salimalii Abdulali , 1961 - Northeast India
voice
The male's singing is described as a loud, rough rattle, ending with a whistle "twit-twit-tt-trr wheeze whee whee". The call is similar to that of the Bajawebber, but it is louder and harder.
Way of life
The food consists mainly of seeds and grains of rice, the nestlings are mainly fed with insects . The birds are sociable and like to hunt with other weaver species.
The breeding season is between May and August in India and in May in Nepal. Big-billed weavers are polygynous , breed in colonies on top of trees 9-10 m from the ground, often together with other weaver species. The nest is not hung up, but held by branches. 2-3 white eggs are laid and both sexes feed the brood.
Hazardous situation
The stock is considered to be endangered ( Vulnerable ).
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Ploceus megarhynchus in the Internet Bird Collection
Individual evidence
- ↑ Großschnabelweber , in Avibase - The World Bird Database
- ↑ a b c d Handbook of the Birds of the World
- ^ A b c S. Ali: The Book of Indian Birds. Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford university Press, 13th ed. 2002, ISBN 978-0-19-566523-9
- ^ R. Grimmett, T. Inskipp: Birds of Northern India. Helm Field Guides, 2017, ISBN 978-0-7136-5167-6
- ↑ Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers
- ↑ Redlist