The Taveta Weaver is a species of bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

 in the Ploceidae family.
It is found in Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 and Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests.

Physical Characteristics

The male Taveta Weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color, whereas brown spots are located on the chest. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is red. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta Weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch

Finch

The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...

 and closely related to the sparrow

Sparrow

The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...

.

Habitat and Geographical Range

This bird can be found in coastal east Africa from eastern Tanzania to southeastern Kenya. It prefers to live in bulrushes, woodland, and swampy areas. Some Asian species of this bird have been found.

Diet

The Taveta Weaver eats mostly seeds. The offspring of the receive food from the mother. This bird also feeds off of corn and grasses.

Life Cycle/Social Structure

These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird" -- noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta Weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest.

Special Adaptations

The Taveta Weaver has strong claws and bills which enable the bird to weave complex nests. Nests can sometimes fill an entire tree; the Weaver usually breeds within the colonies. Even though they are considered songbirds, the sounds that the bird makes is not pleasing to past human observers. The Taveta Weaver is currently not endangered.