Tag Archives: Ploceidae

Sunday Inspiration – Weavers and Allies

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Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Where the birds make their nests;  (Psalms 104:17a NKJV)

This week’s birds have interesting names. Weavers do exactly what the name implies. The Lord created them with the ability to take grasses plus other material and weave their nest. Some can be quite a masterpiece. Also in the family of 109 species are the Malimbus, Quelea, Fody, Bishops, and the Widowbird. When A J Mithra was writing for the blog, before he went on to be with the Lord, he wrote four devotionals about these birds. (See Below)

Long-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes progne) ©WikiC

Long-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes progne) ©WikiC

This family’s species “are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which are from Sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia. A few species have been introduced outside their native range. The weaver group is divided into the buffalo, sparrow, typical, and widow weavers. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season.” (Wikipedia)

Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35:35 KJV) (bolding mine)

That verse tells about the abilities that the Lord gave those who were going to work on the Tabernacle. They had been filled with wisdom that the Lord had put in their hearts. The same great Creator gave these Weaver birds a wisdom to do this weaving. What a Great God We Serve.

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“Jesus What A Might Name” – Pastor Jerry w/Choir and Orchestra

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More Sunday Inspirations

Ploceidae – Weavers, Widowbirds

Ploceidae – Wikipedia

Articles by A J Mithra:

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Interesting Things – The Weaver Bird

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Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) by Bob-Nan

Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) by Bob-Nan

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

Intelligence – as much as is needed and no more – is generously found throughout the creation. So we cannot say that intelligence alone makes humans special.

Consider the weaverbird. The weaverbird nest consists of woven strips of fiber and grass. Using beak and feet, the male weaverbird uses both loops and knots to weave his hanging nest. Then the nest must be inspected by a prospective mate. If she doesn’t like the nest’s construction, she will turn down the hopeful mate. The male must then tear down his work and start over. Some males have been observed constructing and tearing down their nests two dozen times before finding a prospective mate who is satisfied with his work. Some weaverbirds actually build huge cities of nests protected by a woven roof. One roof over a weaverbird city was 15 feet across!

SmileyCentral.com

Human intelligence spans much more than animal intelligence. However, what sets us apart from animals is the fact that our Creator made us to have a special relationship with Him. And even when Adam and Eve placed their will above God’s Word, He still loved us enough to pay the highest price to restore us to Himself. Jesus Christ lived in perfect obedience to God for us and then suffered the penalty of our disobedience against God. In His resurrection from the dead, all those who embrace Christ in faith receive the promise of being made new creations again – beginning right here in this life! That’s the wide gulf between humans and animals!

Prayer:
Dear Father, I thank You that You have given me being and life, and that when I was lost in sin, You still sought me out with Your gospel. Help me to truly live as Your new creation in Christ. For His sake. Amen.
Notes:
Science Digest, Aug. 1983. p. 73.

©Creation Moments 2011

Lee’s Addition:

Thought you might enjoy watching the weaver birds at work. Most of the Weaver Birds belong to the Ploceidae – Weavers, Widowbirds Family. Some of the Old World Sparrows – Passeridae Family have Weavers.
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Wordless Birds

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Baya Weaver – The Model Church

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Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Baya Weaver – The Model Church ~ by a j mithra

The Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a weaverbird found across South and Southeast Asia. These are sparrow-sized (15 cm) and in their non-breeding plumage, both males and females resemble female house sparrows. They have a stout conical bill and a short square tail.

Non-breeding males and females look alike, dark brown streaked fulvous buff above, plain (unstreaked) whitish fulvous below, eyebrow long and buff coloured, bill is horn coloured and no mask. Breeding males have a bright yellow crown, dark brown mask, blackish brown bill, upper parts are dark brown streaked with yellow, with a yellow breast and cream buff below.

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by MAMuin

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by MAMuin

Baya Weavers are social and gregarious birds. They forage in flocks for seeds, both on the plants and on the ground. Flocks fly in close formations, often performing complicated maneuvers. Their calls are a continuous chit-chit-… sometimes ending in a wheezy cheee-eee-ee that is produced by males in a chorus. A lower intensity call is produced in the non-breeding season.

Feeding together and flying together and singing together?
The church needs to take a leaf out from the lifestyle of these birds..
Is it not important, to be together as a one? We say that Christ is the head of the church. But how can Christ be the head of disintegrated choirs in disintegrated churches and indifferent individuals who make disoriented families?

These birds feed together…

  • How many Christian families spend time together in reading and meditating the Bible?
  • How many Christian families live together?

These birds even fly together performing complicated maneuvers…

  • How are our maneuvers as a team?
  • We are supposed to be the army of Jesus, but sadly each one facing different directions…

These birds sing together in chorus..

  • How do our family and church worship the Lord?
  • Do we sing in unity as one?

Its time for us to check ourselves and try learn to live like these birds…

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psalm 133:1-3 KJV)

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar

Flocks of these birds are found in grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growth and they are best known for their hanging retort shaped nests woven from leaves. These nest colonies are usually found on thorny trees or palm fronds and the nests are often built near water or hanging over water where predators cannot reach easily.

They are widespread and common within their range but are prone to local, seasonal movements mainly in response to rain and food availability.
Christ is mindful of us even unto death..
He did think of you and me even as He wore the crown of thorns…

These birds remind me of Psalm 23:2

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

These birds choose to live in the grasslands and build their nests with green leaves over fresh water bodies…
The Lord is our Shepherd and the Living Water..
No doubt about it…
But, the question is, do we let Him makes us lie down in green pastures and lead us beside still waters?
If the answer is yes, then how come our soul is weak, weary and thirsty?
Lets seek His presence, for He is the God of abundance…

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) 3 Male building by Nikhil Devasar

Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) 3 Male building by Nikhil Devasar

The nest of the Baya Weaver bird is an engineering marvel…
These dull looking birds have a most interesting breeding season…
The breeding season of the Baya Weavers is during the monsoon..
The breeding condition is initiated by environmental characters such as day length and comes to an end after summer although this termination is not influenced by short day length as in temperate birds…

They nest in colonies typically of up to 20-30, close to the source of food, nesting material and water. Baya Weavers are best known for the elaborately woven nests constructed by the males. These pendulous nests are retort shaped, with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to a side entrance to the chamber. The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough grasses and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 20–60cm in length. A male bird is known to make up to 500 trips to complete a nest.

Our Lord Jesus Christ made just one trip to the earth and is now building a mansion for us…

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

The birds use their strong beaks to strip and collect the strands, and to weave and knot them while building their nests. The nests are often built hanging over water from palm trees and often suspended from thorny Acacias and in some cases from telephone wires. Although thorny trees are preferred, they may sometimes use avenue trees in urban areas. Nests are often located on the eastern side of the tree where they are believed to provide shelter from the Southwest Monsoon, however late breeders are more likely to build their nests in other orientations relative to the trunk of the nest tree..

  • How do these birds know where and when to build their nests?
  • How do these birds know the direction where the nest has to be placed?

Is it cos they look up to God the directions in life?

  • A Meteorological expert knows about the weather…
  • A Botanist knows about the plants and trees…
  • A Hydrologist knows about water…

But how do these birds know about the season, the tree and the water?
Want to know everything under the sky? Just follow the following verses…

Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. (Proverbs 28:5)
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. (Psalm 34:10)

This male Baya Weaver is working on his nest. This is by Wondersf, which is one of the videographers who has given us permission to use his videos. Khong Tuck Khoon lives in Malaysia.

The males take about 18 days to construct the complete nest with the intermediate “helmet stage” taking about 8 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.

When I read the above passage I was reminded of the famous picture of the cross where I read the following quote..

I asked Jesus how much He loved me
He answered “this much”
Then He stretched out His arms and died for me

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. Males are almost solely in charge of nest building, though their female partners may join in giving the finishing touches, particularly on the interiors. So much so, that even a snake would never be able to enter its nest. Females may modify the interiors or add blobs of mud.

Studies have shown that nest location is more important than nest structure for the female, when it selects the nest and mate…

When we build our lives above the Living Water, the serpent would never be able to enter our homes…

Instead we would walk over them..

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. (Luke 10:19,20)

Have a blessed day!

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

Please visit us at:
Crosstree

ajmithra21

Lee’s Addition:

The Baya Weaver is in the Ploceidae – Weavers, Widowbirds Family of the Passeriformes (Songbirds) Order.

Here’s an amazing video to watch. It’s about 3 minutes long, but shows the weaving going on by the bird. By 

See also:
Birds the Engineers… by ajmithra
Master Builder’s Master Builders by ajmithra
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Red-billed Quelea – Unity Unplugged

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Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©©JoMur

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©©JoMur

Red-billed Quelea – Unity Unplugged ~ by a j mithra

The term quelea bird usually refers to the species Quelea quelea, the Red-billed Quelea, native to bush, grasslands, and savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. Red-billed Quelea is one of the weavers, birds that build elaborate enclosed nests by weaving together strands of grass and other plant materials. There are more than one hundred species of weavers—most of them live in Africa, but others are found in the Arabian Peninsula, India, Southeast Asia, China, and Indonesia.

Most weavers don’t clash with humans, but a flock of Red-billed Quelea, sometimes called locust birds, is a flock of pest birds that African farmers fear. Red-billed Quelea live and breed in huge flocks which can take up to 5 hours to fly past.

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©WikiC flocking_at_waterhole

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©WikiC flocking_at_waterhole

They live mostly in steppe and savanna regions, but do not avoid human settlements. While foraging for food they may fly large distances each day without tiring. Their life expectancy is two to three years.

  • The unity found in these birds is amazing…
  • Sometimes it takes about five hours for a single flock to fly past..
  • How many seats are filled in our churches every Sunday?
  • Though we say that we live as a family, unity is found wanting in most Christian families..
  • If only each family is bound together by the chord of His love, there would be a great revival in our churches…

After all ministry starts at home isn’t it?

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)

  • They never tire to fly long distances each day in search of food…
  • How far do we seek as a family in search of spiritual food?

This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. (Exodus 16:16-18)

  • Each person’s daily quota of manna is about 2 litres..
  • How much of spiritual manna do we have each day?

If our spiritual strength depends upon the intake of spiritual manna, we need to check how strong we’re in spirit…

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©WikiC

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©WikiC

Found in bush, grassland, cultivation and savannah this is one of Kenya’s most studied birds. It is, to put it bluntly, the greatest avian agricultural pest in the whole of the Afrotropical region. Being highly gregarious as well as nomadic, flocks containing hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions of individuals can devastate cereal crops. They roost in such massive numbers that they can break thick tree branches.

These small 20 gram birds can break thick tree branches, but, God doesn’t need a big army to bring Deliverance to His people…

  • The unity of Jonathan and his arm bearer brought deliverance to Israel..
  • The unity of just 300 of Gideon’s men was enough to bring deliverance to his people..
  • We as a church are not able to break satan’s plans, why?
  • It is not because of the dwindling number in our churches or the lack of unity?

If unity is lost, how is it possible to overcome the enemy and how is it possible to extend the kingdom of God?

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Mathew 18:20)

When God comes amongst us, we can surely say,

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:30-31)

At first light the flocks leave their roost to go for water and from a distance it looks as though a grass fire has started. The Queleas form into dense, highly synchronised flocks which look like clouds of smoke, and then, as the flock approaches you, the numbers are so vast their wing-beats sound like a high wind.

  • These birds go in search of water at the first light of the day..
  • We say that Jesus is the living water, but do we drink Him at the first light of the day?
  • Doctors say that drinking water the first thing in the morning, heals a lot of ailments from diabetes to ulcer..
  • If water can bring healing to our body, how much healing can the Living water bring to our body, mind and soul?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13-14)

The flock breeds at times of abundant rainfall and young are ready to move with the nomadic flock within six weeks—often coinciding with the ripening of grain crops. A nesting colony of Red-billed Quelea can extend over hundreds of acres, and a single flock may number millions of birds, moving together in a synchronized fashion.

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) Flock ©©AlastairRae

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) Flock ©©AlastairRae

A flock of Red-billed Quelea has been described as looking like a rolling cloud passing over a grain field or a grass fire sweeping over the grassland. It might as well be a grass fire, for when a huge flock of these bird pests leaves a field of millet, sorghum, or other cereal crop, scarcely a grain will be left behind. Grasses and cultivated wheat crops are highly attractive to them, and wherever there is grain and a source of water in Africa, there is a risk of a quelea bird outbreak.

The food of the Red-billed Quelea consists of annual grasses, seeds and grain. As soon as the sun comes up, they come together in their huge flocks and co-operate in finding a suitable feeding place.

Every day the Sun of Righteousness comes up in our lives, but, the question is, do we come together and most importantly co-operate in finding a suitable feeding place..

  • It has become a fashion for the members of a family to go to different churches on Sundays..
  • Where is the co-operation?
  • It has become a thing of the past for a family to sit together during taking part in the breaking of bread…
  • Should we not learn from these birds about finding a suitable feeding place together?
  • The Bible encourages corporate feeding..

Well, Jesus Himself set an example of corporate feeding when He fed the multitudes and also during the last supper…

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. (Mark 6:39-42)

After a successful search, they settle rapidly and can cause serious damage to crops. In the middle part of the day they rest in shady areas near water and preen. Birds seem to prefer drinking at least twice a day. In the evening they once again fly in search of food.

  • How much we can learn from these birds…
  • They search for food together, seek water together twice every day, they preen together, and even fly again in the evening in search of food..
  • They are so sure about the power of staying together…

The Bible tells us so much about the power of staying together, but do we live like these bird? Let us live together like Psalm 133.

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©©pegash

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) ©©pegash

Breeding is localized and erratic but often colonies include tens of thousands to millions of pairs. The breeding season begins with the seasonal rains, which come at different times in different parts of their range – starting at the north-western edge around the beginning of November. The breeding males first weave half-complete ovoid nests from grass and straw. After the female has examined the construction and the mating has occurred, This mating style of these birds remind us of what Jesus said before ascending to heaven..

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. (John 14:3)

The female lays two to four light blue eggs, and incubates them for twelve days. After the chicks hatch, they are nourished for some days with caterpillars and protein-rich insects. After this time parents change to mainly feeding seeds.

The young birds fledge and become independent enough to leave their parents after approximately two weeks in the nest. They are sexually mature after just one year, but many birds die before reaching this stage and males may weave nests that go unused if the female dies.

  • These males weave the nest that go unused if the female dies..
  • Is the church dead or alive?
  • Let us not be complacent for Jesus may use the unused if His bride, the church is dead…
  • Let us examine if we still have life or if we live like white washed graves…

The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. (Psalm 115:17

Have a blessed day!

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

Please visit us at:
Crosstree
ajmithra21

Weavers, Widowbirds – Ploceidae Family
Passeriformes Order

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