June 2024
~ Baya weaver males do all the construction; the females sit and scrutinise.
~ The male makes hundreds of trips to construct a weatherproof pendulous, retort-shaped nest.
~ Once done, the male flaps its wings to attract a female; the female does a thorough inspection of the house; if she approves of the construction, she agrees to mate with the builder.
~ The male adds an entrance once he finds a partner.
~ Both the males and females are polygamous (Bayas don’t confuse love with libido)
~ Baya is a Hindi word.
~ All this home-for-love process lasts the monsoon; once they abandon their nests, they do not come back to them.
~ The nests are robust, sustainable, biodegradable.
From construction to courtship, humans have much to learn from Baya weavers.
~*~