Why in news?
Finn’s Weaver Bird has been in recent news due to its alarming disappearance from key Terai habitats in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, with no sightings recorded in 2025 at prime sites like Haripura Dam.
About
- Scientific Name: Ploceus megarhynchus; also called Finn's Baya or Yellow Weaver.
- Naming Origin: Named after Frank Finn (British officer) who noted its yellow breeding plumage; first identified by A.O. Hume.
- Size: About 17 cm long, larger than other Indian weavers with heavy bill and legs.
- Distribution: Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys in India (Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand) and Nepal's Terai grasslands.
- Habitat: Marshes, tall wet grasses (Phragmites, Typha), near dams/reservoirs; nests in Semal (Bombax ceiba), Shisham trees.
- Diet: Primarily granivorous (seeds); opportunistic insectivore during breeding.
- Breeding: May-September; globular nests from leaf strips, fully lined inside; males strip tree leaves for visibility.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Endangered; Schedule IV, Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
- Threats: Habitat loss (agriculture, floods, grass cutting), crow predation, water projects.
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