The Baya Weaver constructs an expertly-designed dangling nest

Spend 3.5 minutes with a bright yellow male Baya Weaver, a weaverbird found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. These skilled builders are known for their well-designed dangling nests, featuring a bulbous nesting chamber and a tubular downward-facing opening that leads up to a buffer space. This defensive structure guards against any potential predators.

“These incredible nesting strategies,” Pakistan-based YouTube channel The Jungle Adventure notes in the video caption, “highlight the adaptability and ingenuity of birds in creating safe and secure homes for their offspring.” More about the Baya Weaver on Wikipedia:

“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 60 cm (7.9 and 23.6 in) in length. A male bird is known to make up to 500 trips to complete a nest. The birds use their strong beaks to strip and collect the strands, and to weave and knot them while building their nests…”

“The males take about 18 days to construct the complete nest with the intermediate ‘helmet stage’ taking about eight days. The nests are partially built before the males begin to display to passing females by flapping their wings and calling while hanging from their nests. The females inspect the nest and signal their acceptance of a male. Once a male and a female are paired, the male goes on to complete the nest by adding the entrance tunnel.”

Fun fact: When the Baya weaver couple is done with their nest, Indian silverbills are known to move in.

Previously: Weaverbirds design and build intricate nests.

Plus, enjoy more nest-building activities:
• A blue tit nest box, from empty nest to fledging chicks
• How do cliff swallows build their mud pellet nests?
• How do hummingbirds build their tiny nests?
• Western jackdaws pluck fur from wild deer in Richmond Park, London
• A ‘plucky’ songbird harvests nesting material from a snoozing fox

Related: Patrick Dougherty’s Stickwork: Woven tree sculpture time-lapse videos.