While the population of Baya weaver has been dwindling over the years and sighting of their nest is rare, yet to the ecstasy of bird lovers and ornithologists, the forest officials of Bhitarkanika National Park have recently sighted more than 100 Baya weaver nests in several coconut trees located at the Dangamal Crocodile Research Centre.
Though in last couple of years, the birds regularly thronged Bhitarkanika for nesting and breeding in the monsoon time, but this time, their nests have increased.The Baya weaver is sparrow sized (15 cm). It has a stout conical bill and a short square tail. Non-breeding males and females look alike.
The birds are found across South and Southeast Asia. They inhabit in grassland, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growths usually near fresh or brackish water.
Baya weavers are best known for their elaborately woven nests. These pendulous nests are retort shaped, with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to a side entrance to the chamber. The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough grasses and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 20 and 60cm in length, the forest officials informed.
During the breeding season, the males begin building nests. The males take about 18 days to construct a nest with the partly build "helmet stage" taking about 8 days. The nests are partially built when the males display to passing females by flapping their wings and calling while hanging to their nests.
The males are polygamous, mating with 2 to 3 females one after another. In earlier times, the Baya weaver was trained by streetperformers in India forentertainment. They were trained to fire toy cannons, string beads, pick up coins and other objects.