Animalia Life
Philetairus socius
SUBFAMILY
Plocepasserinae
TAXONOMY
Loxia socia Latham, 1790, Great Namaqualand, South Africa.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Rйpublicain social; German: Siedelweber; Spanish:
Tejedor Sociable.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
5.5 in (14 cm); female and male 0.8–1.1 oz (24–32 g). Sandy
brown with black chin and throat, dark feathers with pale
edges on mantle and flanks. Bill blue-gray. Sexes alike. Juvenile
uniform sandy brown, with no darker feathers. Bill pale brown.
DISTRIBUTION
Namibia, southwestern Botswana, northwestern South Africa.
HABITAT
Open, arid regions with scattered trees and bare ground.
BEHAVIOR
Gregarious, resident at nest sites, roosting in chambers
throughout the year. Predators such as cobras may live within
nest structure, also “lodgers” like the pygmy falcon (Polihierax
semitorquatus), which is an obligate commensal. Other birds
may occasionally roost or breed in vacant nest chambers.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Seeds and insects, particularly harvester termites. Proportion of
insect and seed food varies seasonally, collected primarily on
the ground. Feed in flocks within 1 mi (1.5 km) radius of nest
site. Seldom drink water.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Colonial, monogamous with cooperative breeding. Communal
nest is a huge mass of dry grass stems, with individual nest
chambers entered from below. Up to 13 ft (4 m) deep and 24
ft (7.2 m) long, supported by large branches; in treeless areas
may use telephone poles. Pair bond may last for only one
breeding attempt, even if both partners resident in same nest
mass; helpers chiefly offspring of pair from earlier broods. Lays
two to six eggs; season entirely dependent on rainfall, and
breeding may start in any month. Incubation 13–14 days,
fledging 21–24 days. Both sexes incubate and feed the young;
up to nine helpers may feed chicks.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Range is thinly populated, includes major conservation
areas.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Nest material sometimes used for stock fodder in times of
drought.
Photo Gallery of - Sociable weaver
