We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.
You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Accept
Pin-tailed Whydah
Vidua macroura
The Pin-tailed Whydah is a beautiful finch with a stubby bill. The male has distinctive breeding plumage, principally clad in black and white with a bright red bill and long tail plumes. Pin-tailed whydahs are described as hardy, generally gentle birds, but the male can be aggressive and territorial in breeding season.
Range & Habitat
The Pin-tailed Whydah is primarily a resident of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as an extant species of Puerto Rico. It is found in a wide variety of shrubland habitats including agricultural fields, parks, and gardens.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Population is stable via inhabiting an extremely large range. The species population is suspected to be stable due to the absence of evidence of any population declines or substantial threats.
Diet
Half-ripe seed heads, greens, grass seeds, sprouted seed, insects
Life Span
5 ½ years
Fun Facts about the Pin-tailed Whydah
- The Pin-tailed Whydah places its eggs in the nest of a waxbill which raises the baby pin-tailed whydahs along with its own babies.
- Pin-tailed whydahs are an overlooked species in wildlife trading. Small population sizes are popping up in California & other southern states of the US as a result of escaping from captivity.
Sources
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World & e-bird, Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of Life, Finch InformationCenter http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/species/pintailed_whydah.php, “This Beautiful Species Could Be Trouble for Native Birds” By Jason Daley, SMITHSONIANMAG.COM, JUNE 30, 2017
BirdLife International. 2018. Vidua macroura. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: Vidua macroura (Pin-tailed Whydah) (iucnredlist.org)Downloaded on 23 July 2021
Updated June 13, 2023
Location:
Diversity of Birds
View Birds
>
View other animals at my location
>
