Madagascar Weavers

[Trilobite]

Hi all,
To anyone breeding or having bred these weavers I have some questions:
Most of my males have gone into eclipse plumage - except one, he is still driving females hard and there are three active nests at present, some have just fledged today - when do they stop breeding?
Some eclipse plumage males are still building nests and driving females - is this normal
Do some males fail to loose their nuptial plumage or keep it until very late? Is this s sign of old age in a bird?
I have been told that males out of their nuptial plumage are not fertile - true or false?
Any information appreciated.

[E Orix]

Here in Australia the general rule is that Weavers go out of their breeding plumage as winter arrives.
But many don't totally lose all their colour and a small number still retain a large proportion of their breeding plumage.
I have noticed that this season June 12 until July 13 there have been some very different situations with some species coming into
colour early and others very very late. Different areas have had different times of coming in and out of colour.
All my Grenadier and Madagascars have been out of colour for about 6+ weeks.
Yet other species have just turned yet there are hens still feeding small chicks. This is possibly a month later than normal.
I have last seasons young male birds buzzing and trying to set up being the dominant bird in their holding aviary.
Once out of colour my breeding stock don't drive or weave and generally will just sit with each other.
As for being infertile when out of colour, I believe this is so, the colour change is hormonal as is the reason for them being infertile
Older males will generally come into colour before younger ones but I think they go out of colour at a similar time.
Often old female Grenadiers will show some colouration of the male bird though.
Older females that are too old to breed should not be discarded but left with the breeding males.
The reason is once the male has put the breeding hens down he will then spend his time trying in vain to get the old hen to breed and
leave the good hens alone to rear their chicks.
Don't wait until the Male Weaver is in colour before letting it go into the aviary, the male Weavers will be setting up their territory and nesting sites
well before they change colour.
This season has been very different here where I live and I feel the two periods of heat wave we had threw their cycle out of the norm.

[Trilobite]

Thanks Eorix, appreciate your feedback. The grenadiers have long since coloured down, they are still chatting/buzzing and building hoops everywhere. The Madigascars are still going strong. Mind you we haven't begun to cool down too much yet only mid teens overnight - the big chill will hit Brisbane this weekend at 9C.

[Trilobite]

G'day all/Eorix,
I am not sure what is going on. It is now winter with night time temps below 10C, and still two nests in the aviary with sitting hens. I have taken away all live food, soft food and green seed. All the males coloured down and then one moulted back with a half way attempt between eclipse and nuptial plumage and one which likes pied (red and grey) - is this normal, weather or diet related? The main male is still actively pursuing the females and chases the hens back to their sitting duties. I am not worried at all as they are all healthy and happy, just wanting to learn more.

[E Orix]

At a rough guess I think your climate may have something to do with it.
That aside Madagascar Weavers go in and out of colour on a regular basis, unlike the other species like
Grenadier Weavers which are more rigid in their breeding cycle.
If the birds are in good condition and the cockbird builds and drives just keep an eye on them, but let them go.
They are a pretty tough specie.

[Trilobite]

Thanks Eorix, yes, beside being robust they are a wonderful species at that, I just love the courtship dance and wing positioning, I would love to catch it on film. So different from Grenadiers, which are in turn so different to the Napolean weavers.