A Quantitative Analysis of Breeding Behavior in the African Village Weaverbird

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Abstract
The quantitative analysis of animal behavior, including the behavior and life history of birds, is a large and relatively new field for investigation. An approach is illustrated in terms of the amount of different types of activity required to produce and fledge a brood in a sp. of weaverbird. The amount of oxygen consumed during a given activity provudes a common basis for comparing the energy requirements of different kinds of behavior patterns. There is definite need for more adequate techniques in this regard to aid the quantitative analysis of behavior in the field. Current studies of physiologists indicate that flapping flight in a bird takes vastly more energy than does sitting or walking. But there are no measurements available at present for comparing the relative metabolic requirements of flying, display, and mating activities as they occur in the field. However, there are great differences in frequency of occurrence of these activities in the species of bird studied. In the African village weaverbird (Textor cucullatus graueri) the male weaves the nests, the female lines its lower part and incubates. About 9 or 10 nests were woven for every 1 from which a brood was fledged in the course of the 9-month breeding season. Both sexes feed nestlings, the female taking much the greater share. When the amounts of flying (considered as one of the activities demanding the most energy) required to build nests and to feed nestlings were compared, it became evident that most of the male''s energy over a resting level must go into building and "displaying" nests, that of the female into rearing young. In turn, these energy demands may influence the habitat requirements and distribution of the species.