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THURLOW - BLACK-HEADED WEAVER



Photo Graham Thurlow



Male and female Layard’s Black-headed Weaver.



flight and an examination of the nest revealed a chick and an unhatched egg,

which subsequently proved to be clear. The eggs of Layard’s Black-headed

Weaver are rather elongated in shape and pale blue in colour, with the broad

end slightly darker and decorated with dark spots and squiggles; the extent

of these markings is variable, however.


The chick thrived initially on a diet of black field crickets, then as it

grew bigger, it graduated onto waxworrns and mealworms. It fledged after

approximately 21 days, but continued to be fed by the female for some

weeks, even during periods when she took a break from incubating her

second clutch of eggs. Within 24 hours of the chick leaving the nest the



