Napoleon Weaver

Scientific Name: Euplectes afra

Origin: West Africa

A lively and active weaver, which can be aggressive during the breeding season.

Description:

Size: 10 cm (4 in) COCK:

Head: thick yellow ruff. Back: yellow. Body: black and yellow. Wings: black and buff. Throat: yellow. Eyes: black. Beak: black. Legs: black.

HEN:

Alike, so it is not possible to sex bird by appearance outside the breeding season when both the cock and hen are light greyish-brown in color.

When buying any type of weaver, look for bright eyes, a clean vent and well shaped legs and feet. Scruffy feathers are not a sign of ill health in this species, as it is a soft feathered bird and plumage is easily damaged.

Diet: (Seedeater)

Mixed millets and plain canary seed form the basic diet. Green food, grit and cuttlefish bone should always be available. This hardy species may winter outside during the day, but should be provided with a dry, frost-proof shelter or un-heated room at night.

Breeding:

A nest is constructed in a nest box, which should be provided. The weaver also uses old nests, vacated by other weavers, fashioned to its own liking.

Three to four eggs form an average clutch and incubation takes 12 days.

Both parents take turns to sit on the eggs by day and roost in the nest box at night. Chicks fledge in three weeks.

During the breeding season the cock's display is really amusing to watch. He puffs out his feathers to display his yellow ruff to best advantage.

Aviary Requirements

• The bird should be kept in a large sized aviary with trees planted in it.
• Keep only one pair of birds per aviary.
• Do not include other species of birds as well. The birds are to be kept separately in order to avoid hybridization with the some species of birds belonging to the weaver family. The cock bird becomes very aggressive in nature during the breeding season. It guards and protects the nest and the chicks. So, you are recommended to keep the pair of Napolean weaver birds in a separate aviary.
• The birds are not suitable for keeping them in cages, especially if you want to try your hands in breeding.
• Ideally the birds should be kept in aviaries that have dense shrubs, tall grasses and potted bamboo trees. Though for some temporary period of time a fully grown Napolean weaver can be kept in a cage but it should be shifted to an aviary as early as possible.

• The birds are the smallest specie of the weaver family.
• It is regarded as one of the rare species of birds.
• The cock under takes the task of building a basket shaped nest so that the female bird can lay eggs and rear chicks.
• Though small in size but the male birds are quite aggressive while guarding their territory.
• The male birds can breed with more that one hen in a single season. Generally, a tri or two hens and one male work best for producing healthy chicks.