Southern Masked Weaver - Free State

Bloemfontein is the judicial seat for South Africa and serves as one of three national capitals. Cape Town, located in Western Province, serves as the legislative seat, and Pretoria, located in Gauteng Province, serves as the administrative seat of government. Johannesberg, also in Gauteng, holds the Constitutional Court.

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Ploceus velatus - The southern masked weaver is common throughout Southern Africa. Taking on several female partners, the male has the duty of weaving each of his many nests from grass, palm, and reed. The female lines the nest with feathers and soft grass. To defeat the parasitisation of nest by cuckoos, the southern masked weaver lays her clutch of eggs in various colors. This defeats the cuckoo’s ability to place an invasive egg similar in color into the host’s nest. The southern masked weaver will easily recognize any fake egg and eject it from her nest.

Red-headed Fody - Mayotte

The Mayotte Archipelago consists of two primary islands, Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre; several islets are scattered nearby. The island chain is of volcanic origin and was formed almost 8 millions years ago. Geologically, Mayotte is part of the larger Comoros Islands, but has been a French political claim since 1841.

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Foudia eminentissima - About 120 species of birds are listed in the family of Ploceidae. Based on their style of nest construction, most of the birds within this family are known as weaverbirds. The red-headed fody, endemic to Mayotte, the Comoros, and the Seychelles is a typical weaver. Hanging nests are woven in close proximity from branches using a variety of material; fibers pulled from vegetation is the most common. The entrance chamber is narrow to keep intruders out and faces down. Most weaver species are native to Africa.