Asian Golden Weaver (Ploceus hypoxanthus)
Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: PLOCEIDAE Weavers
Scientific name: Ploceus hypoxanthus
English name: Asian Golden Weaver
Characteristic: Size 15 cm. A small weaver, which is similar to the Baya Weaver, but having larger and thicker bill; upperpart brown streaked with flesh-coloured markings; supercilium, rump and underpart flesh-coloured. In the breeding season, a male will acquire a brightly-coloured plumage of bright yellow head and underpart; face and throat black; upperpart darker brown in tone and adorned with yellow streakings.
Distribution: Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumatra and Java.
Habitat: Frequenting thick mass of grasses bordering marshes and swamps, and in paddy fields. In Sakaerat forest, it lives in open grass fields in the dry dipterocarp forest.
Habit: Keeping in flocks, seen perching on tree branches and grass stems; sometimes hugs flocks will raid rice grain in the paddy fields. Also favouring grass seeds, cereal grain, insects, worms and other small animals. Breeding takes place between April and June; a globular nest will be built in groups on grass stems or sedge culms standing in water or along the water lines; about 1.5-2.0 m. above the ground or water surface; in which a clutch of 2-4 greyish white eggs will be laid. A male will commence by building a rough nest, that will be strenghen into a more globular from by a female. She also does the duties of incubation and raising nestlings all by her own. A male will start a new nest to attract another female, when his mate starts to sitting on eggs.
Status: A quite scarce resident in Sakaerat forest, and now facing vulnerable status.It is now a protected wild animal.
