Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus), male
Baya Weaver, Male

Baya Weaver

Ploceus philippinus

The Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a small bird, comparable in size to the sparrow, measuring about 15 cm (5.9 in) in length. In their non-breeding plumage, both sexes resemble the female House Sparrow, with a stout conical bill and a short square tail.

Identification Tips

During the non-breeding season, males and females are similar in appearance, with dark brown streaked fulvous buff above and a plain whitish fulvous below. They have a long and buff-coloured eyebrow, and their bill is horn-coloured without a mask. Breeding males, however, transform with a bright yellow crown, dark brown mask, and a blackish brown bill. Their upper parts are dark brown streaked with yellow, and they have a yellow breast with cream buff below.

Habitat

Baya Weavers are found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub, and secondary growth.

Distribution

This species is widespread across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is common within its range but may move locally in response to seasonal changes, particularly rain and food availability.

Behaviour

Baya Weavers are social and gregarious, often seen foraging in flocks for seeds on plants and on the ground. They perform intricate flight manoeuvres in tight formations. These birds are also known to glean grains from harvested fields and may sometimes be considered agricultural pests. They roost in reed-beds near water bodies and exhibit seasonal movements influenced by food availability.

Song & Calls

Their vocalizations include a continuous "chit-chit-…" which may end in a wheezy "cheee-eee-ee" produced by males in chorus. A softer call is heard outside the breeding season.

Breeding

The breeding season coincides with the monsoons. Males construct elaborate hanging nests, retort-shaped with a central chamber and a long tube leading to a side entrance. Nests are woven from leaves and grasses and are often situated over water or on thorny trees to deter predators. Both males and females may be polygamous, with males building several partial nests to attract females.

Similar Species

The Baya Weaver can be confused with other weaverbirds or sparrows, but its distinctive breeding plumage and nest architecture are usually good distinguishing features.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet consists of seeds from wild grasses and crops like rice, as well as insects, small frogs, geckos, and molluscs, particularly when feeding young.

Conservation status

The Baya Weaver is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating it is not at immediate risk of widespread decline.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Baya Weavers on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Weavers, Widowbirds

A photo of a Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons) , male

Thick-billed Weaver

Amblyospiza albifrons
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.