OVERLAP OF BREEDING AND MOULT IN THE WHITEBROWED SPARROWWEAVER IN NORTHWESTERN BOTSWANA

1 April 1978

journal article
research article
Published by Taylor & Francis in Ostrich

Vol. 49 (1) , 21-24
https://doi.org/10.1080/00306525.1978.9633506

Abstract

Jones, P. J. 1978. Overlap of breeding and moult in the Whitebrowed Sparrowweaver in northwestern Botswana. Ostrich 48:21-24. Female Whitebrowed Sparrowweavers Plocepasser mahali trapped on the nest while incubating showed advanced active moult of wing and tail feathers, indicating a complete overlap of moulting and breeding schedules. Additional moult data indicated an unusually protracted primary moult of 183 days. It is suggested that the low daily metabolic demands of a slow moult enable it to be compatible with breeding activities, which may be of advantage to some species living in semi-arid environments.

Keywords

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:

Estimation of the Duration of Bird Molt
Ornithological Applications, 1976
THE SOCIABLE WEAVER, PART 3: BREEDING BIOLOGY AND MOULT
Ostrich, 1973
Overlap of Breeding and Molting Schedules in a Collection of African Birds
Ornithological Applications, 1969