Breeding phenology and moult of the endemic Bannerman's Weaver Ploceus bannermani

Abstract

The breeding phenology and moult cycle of the vulnerable and range-restricted Bannerman's Weaver Ploceus bannermani was studied on the Obudu Plateau in the eastern region of Nigeria. The peak breeding season was between August and October; a major cause of breeding failure was egg predation by children. The estimated start date of moult for the average bird was 21 August (SD 39.2 d), with 95% of birds starting moult between 11 June and 30 October, estimated duration of moult was 159 d (SD 7.1 d), and the estimated end date of moult was 27 February. Our results indicate there is an overlap between breeding and moult.

Keywords:

• breeding
• moult
• Obudu Plateau
• Ploceus bannermani
• Underhill–Zucchini models