1013. Ploeeus manyar flavieeps

(1013) Ploceus manyar flaviceps Less.
THE MADRAS STREAKED WEAVER-BIRD.
Ploceus manyar flaviceps, Fauna B. I., Birds, 2nd ed, vol. iii, p. 73.
The Madras race of Streaked Weaver-Bird extends as far North as Orissa on the East and Bombay on the West, while South it occurs and is common in Ceylon. In Southern India this Weaver-Bird breeds in much the same situations as the preceding species. Col. Butler found them at Milana near Deesa breeding during August and September, where he says:—“As a rule they are fastened to reeds or bushes growing in the water, by the sides of tanks, open wells, or marshy ground, but at the same time it is not unusual to find them in high sarpat grass out in the open country at some distance (a half mile or more) from water. They also often build in long grass overhanging ditchea or small streams, and I have occasionally found a small colony building in low, thorny bushes and trees (mimosa etc.) overhanging the water. The nests are almost exactly similar to those of P. baya, except that they are slightly smaller, and in some instances the tubular entrance is of immense length. There is one very remarkable thing about this species, and that is a peculiar habit they have of cementing yellow flowers (generally mimosa) to the nest with cow-dung.”
As a matter of fact the nest is not like that of P. baya (= philippinus) as it has no neck, the upper part of the nest being rounded with the supporting pendent blades of grass, leaves or twigs worked into the structures of the nest as in P. benghalensis. As a rule, also, the tubular entrances are short, sometimes almost absent, but at other times very long, and I have been told of one nest with a tube of about three feet.
Wait says that this Weaver is common, though local, near or over water in Ceylon, making its nest usually in bulrushes during February and March, while in Travancore Bourdillon found it equally common in the plains but breeding from July to September. In Bareilly also Whymper found them breeding chiefly in August and, except in Ceylon, June to September seems to be the normal breeding season.
The eggs number two to five. Jerdon thought two to be the number moat often laid but in most colonies three to four eggs are usual.
They are indistinguishable from other Ploceus eggs, and fifty average 20.3 x 14.3 mm. ; maxima 21.6 x 15.0 and 20.1 x 15.1 mm, ; minima 19.1 x 13.9 and 19.2 x 13.1 mm :
Both birds help in building the nest, but I think that with all Weaver-Birds the female alone carries on the duties of incubation. The males—and these, as with the Bayas, are said to greatly out¬number the females—spend much of their time building, either prolonging the entrance to the nests in which their wives are sitting or in starting new nests which they half build and then desert. Once the young are batched he is a hardworking careful father, and feeds his young with soft insects, larvae etc. like all other Weaver-Birds and, indeed, most other Finches.