- Creatophora cinerea
Identification
21 cm. Grey body, white rump, black flight feathers and tail. Breeding male - white shoulder patch, unfeathered yellow skin, black forehead and throat wattles. Non-breeding male has feathered head and a small yellow patch behind the eye, no wattles, and a black moustachial stripe. The white shoulder patch is much reduced. The female and juvenile plumages are similar to the non-breeding male, but the flight feathers and tail are brown.
Distribution
South and east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Grassland, open woodland and cultivation.
Behaviour
This is a colonial breeder, sometimes sharing colonies with the Cape Weaver. Both sexed make a globe shaped nest from twigs and lined with grass or feathers, which is placed in trees or bushes. 2-5 pale blue with brown spots, eggs are laid, and then the dome of the nest is finished. Both parents incubate for 11 days and feed the young which fledge after a further 13-16 days.
The diet includes insects, mainly locusts, and invertebrates, seeds and berries.
