by Derek Engelbrecht
It’s always exciting finding an active nest. On the 6th of February 2022 (Day 1 of observations), I came across an active Black-headed Oriole nest in Polokwane, and for the next 18 days, I managed to visit the site four times. Here is an account of various observations that were not- ed during my visits. Black-headed Oriole breed from September to February, with most records from October to December (Fry et al. 2000), so this was quite a late nesting record for the species. It is possible that this breeding attempt may have been a repeat-brooding attempt following an earlier successful attempt by this pair, or it may have been a replace- ment nesting attempt following an earlier failed nesting attempt.
The nest structure, appear- ance and placement was as de- scribed by Tarboton (2011). The nest was almost entirely construct- ed of grass and other pliable veg- etable matter and suspended at a fork of two smaller branches of a Eucalyptus tree. There were also small amounts of lichens visibleon the outer surface. The nest was situated about 9 m away from the base of the tree trunk, at some of the lowest hanging (lower canopy) outer branches of the tree. The nest was about 7 m off the ground. I had to familiarise myself with the nest’s location, as it was extremely well concealed between the more deli- cate lead-off twigs and leafy foliage of the outer branch clumps of the tree.
My first views of activity at the nest were of an adult bird thatseemed to be feeding a nestling. I couldn’t see the nestling because of the height of the nest, but it appeared that the feeding activ- ity was successful. Af- ter a few more feeding attempts, with inter- vals around 8-15 min- utes, the presumed female came to sit on the nest. The male bird then brought the female a spider, which she took and ate. She brooded for around 20 mins before leaving the nest again.
Considering the incubation period of around 14-16 days (Ma- clean 1993), laying likely com- menced around the 22nd to the 24th of January 2022. The observed feeding activity was also focused on a specific area in the nest. Most of the food items brought were various caterpillars and a single spider, which the female ate. Rudnai (1994) also noticed that most food items delivered to Black-headed Oriole nestlings were caterpillars.
On my second visit on the 13th of February (Day 8), I could see three nestlings in the nest, and both parents were actively feeding them. The visits were regular, with various food items delivered to the nestlings.
Fry CH, Keith S, Urban EK. 2000. The birds of Africa. Vol. 6. London: Academic Press.
Maclean GL. 1993. Roberts birds of southern Africa. 6th Edn. Cape Town: The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. Rudnai J. 1994. Blackheaded Oriole (Oriolus larvatus) nesting in a Langata garden. Bulletin of the East African Natural History Society 24: 61-62.
Skead CJ. 1995. Life history notes on East Cape bird species, 1940-1990. Vol. 1. Port Elizabeth: Algoa Regional Services Council.