The large majority of birders visit Thailand between the months of November and March, which is a great time for winter migrants but not so good for resident birds.

There are a few birds in particular which just are not present in the dry season or not at their best. Asian Golden Weaver is one of the latter; through the dry season months it is in non-breeding plumage and rather dull, but in the breeding season (late March to August) the male is one of the most fabulous birds of the wetlands.

Asian Golden Weaver by Alex Vargas

Over the last few months I have been seeing small nesting colonies of Asian Golden Weavers regularly at Muang Boran Fishponds near Bangkok and Tung Bang Jak near Petchaburi. They make small, ball-shaped nests in emergent vegetation such as Typha whilst their relatives, Baya Weavers, make pipe-shaped nests in trees and Streaked Weavers make a ball with a pipe in emergent vegetation.

Anyone heading to Bueng Boraphet from March to August should also easily see this species by going to the crocodile enclosure at the fisheries research station on the north side of the lake, where they breed, their nests protected by crocodiles.