The Red-billed buffalo weaver (Bubalornis niger) is a common bird in parts of Southern Africa. These birds have the largest body size of all weavers and are common in dry woodland and savannas. Buffalo weavers have a peculiar trait when getting used to humans: they will try to stay around settlements and even vacate an area if these humans leave.
Finding direction West to North-West
Red-billed buffalo weavers usually build their nests on large trees on the North-Western side. These trees are often standing solitary, so the nests can be seen from a reasonable distance away. With this indication, it is possible to determine direction on an overcast day. Other possibilities for determining cardinal points are the shape of trees or the direction in which the tip of termite mounds points (in Southern African countries).
But, as always in nature, there will be exceptions. Especially when a bigger buffalo weaver colony is breeding in one tree, there will be exceptions to the rule.
Buffalo weaver nests and breeding
The nests themselves are an untidy conglomerate of thorny twigs, which, in total, represent a very sturdy construction. Verreaux’s eagle owls or White-backed vultures often use them as a breeding platform. And this symbiosis is mutually advantageous. Owls and vultures have a ready-made platform, and the buffalo weavers are protected against predators from above.
Some entrance and exit tunnels lead into the stick nests, and within the whole nest, there are individual chambers for various females. Males are polygynous and try to attract as many females as possible. After mating, the females furnish their breeding chambers with green grass and leaves, and only they incubate and care for the young.
There are two more peculiarities of buffalo weavers, both related to breeding. Firstly, these birds have the longest mating time of all birds, which will last up to two minutes. Typically, birds are finished in seconds. Secondly, another fact is that buffalo weavers of both sexes got a pseudo-penis, whose function is currently not fully known to science. See the following link.
Lessons learned from Red-billed buffalo weaver nests:
- Red-billed buffalo weaver nests are usually built on the Western to North-western side of large trees
- These trees are often standing alone
- On overcast days, the direction W-NW can, therefore, be determined.
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