Pin-tailed Whydah

Vidua macroura

Breeding males grow four tail feathers up to 20cm long and crash into waxbill nests to lay eggs. Flashy and shameless.

Population: Global population size not quantified by BirdLife/IUCN; species described as uncommon overall but locally common to abundant, with a stable population trend
Habitat: Open habitats across sub-Saharan Africa — grassland, savanna/shrubland, bushveld, scrub, arable/farmland, pastureland, permanent water courses, and rural gardens/parks; avoids dense forest
Fun fact: A breeding male Pin-tailed Whydah grows tail plumes roughly 20 cm long — more than double his own 12-13 cm body length — purely for courtship display (including hovering flight displays), then molts them off outside the breeding season; the species is an obligate brood parasite of estrildid finches (especially waxbills), and its chicks mimic the host chicks' gape/mouth markings to trick foster parents into feeding them, without destroying host eggs.
Range: Widespread native resident across sub-Saharan Africa (Extent of Occurrence ~26,600,000 km² per BirdLife/IUCN); introduced/escaped populations established in the USA (southern California), Puerto Rico, Portugal (Aveiro region), and Singapore
Diet: Primarily grass seeds and grain foraged on the ground; supplements with insects (including flying insects such as termites, bees and wasps), especially during the breeding season
Size: 0.13 m

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