The Pin-tailed Whydah
The Pin-tailed Whydah is quite a magnificent bird in its breeding plumage, with predominantly the males displaying their black and white bodies and conspicuous long tails.
The males perform marvelous courtship displays, whereby the stunning long tail is flicked up and down whilst singing continuously. These displays occur low over the ground and they create circular flights while dancing about. The males can be very aggressive and they often chase other birds away while displaying.
Pin-tailed Whydahs, scientifically known as Vidua macroura, occur across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Southern Africa.
They generally prefer open grassland and savanna woodland habitats. With a conical bright red bill these birds feed mainly on insects as well as seeds. They forage on the ground by pecking quickly at disturbed soil and often have a drink at a roadside pool. Whydahs are known to search for food in groups with one male leading the way with his long tail, followed by several females .
These small birds size up to about 13 cm with the tail on the males reaching 22 cm. Male Pin-tailed Whydahs are known to bully other birds and are quite hostile towards them, especially other smaller finches. These males have even been seen fearlessly asserting their authority over much larger birds such as crows. These mischievous little birds can often be seen displaying their dances close to water sources like dams, or in an open grassland area.
Did you know? There are quite some peculiar spectacles that nature often conceals, leaving one oblivious to things you don't often see. One such phenomenon is displayed by the Pin-tailed Whydah. This cheeky little bird is an avian brood parasite and requires the aid of other birds, mainly finches, to raise their offspring. These birds do not build their own nests, but instead they lay their eggs in the nests of other species, such as the common waxbill and finches, which act as hosts. However, the Whydah does not remove or destroy the hosts eggs. The finches, being the host species, then raise the chicks of the Whydah along with its own. A single female Whydah is estimated to lay around 22 eggs in a single breeding season.
