pin-tailed whydah

{{Speciesbox

| name = Pin-tailed whydah

| image = Pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) male Sao Tome.jpg

| image_caption = Male in breeding plumage
São Tomé and Príncipe

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=Vidua macroura |volume=2018 |page=e.T22719988A132134939 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22719988A132134939.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}

| genus = Vidua

| species = macroura

| authority = (Pallas, 1764)

| synonyms = *Fringilla macroura {{small|Pallas, 1764}}

Emberiza vidua {{small|Linnaeus, 1766}}

}}

The pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) is a small songbird with a conspicuous pennant-like tail in breeding males. It is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

Taxonomy

The pin-tailed whydah was first described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name Fringilla macroura.{{cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jnr. | year=1968 | title=Check-list of birds of the world, Volume 14 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=395 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14481596 }}{{cite journal | last=Sherborn | first=C. Davies | year=1905 | title=The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764 | journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections | volume=47 | pages=332–341 [336 No. 144] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8812106 }} Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.{{cite journal | last1=Rookmaaker | first1=L.C. | last2=Pieters | first2=F.F.J.M. | year=2000 | title=Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer | journal=Contributions to Zoology | volume=69 | issue=4 | pages=271–277 | doi=10.1163/18759866-06904005 | url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/571856 | doi-access=free }}

Description

The pin-tailed whydah is 12–13 cm in length, although the breeding male's tail adds another 20 cm to this. The adult male has a black back and crown, and a very long black tail. The wings are dark brown with white patches, and the underparts and the head, apart from the crown, are white. The bill is bright red. The female and non-breeding male have streaked brown upperparts, whitish underparts with buff flanks, and a buff and black face pattern. They lack the long tail extension, but retain the red bill. Immature birds are like the female but plainer and with a greyish bill.{{cite book| last1=SInclair|first1=Ian|last2=Hockey|first2=Phil|last3=Tarboton|first3=Warwick|last4=Ryan|first4=Peter| title=Sasol Birds of Southern Africa|edition=4th|publisher=Struik Nature|location=Cape Town|year=2011}}

Distribution and habitat

The pin-tailed whydah occurs in much of sub-Saharan Africa, favouring grassland, scrubs and savannah, also coming into parks and gardens. In Portugal it is established in the region around Aveiro, with observations occurring north and south of it.[http://www.avesdeportugal.info/vidmac.html Viuvinha-bico-de-lacre] – Aves de Portugal It has been introduced to southern California, with a sizable population existing there, as well as Puerto Rico and Singapore. It can be kept as a domesticated pet in the United States. It is also widely kept as a cage bird elsewhere, with occasional escapes and releases.

Ecology

The species is a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the nests of estrildid finches, especially waxbills. Unlike the common cuckoo, it does not destroy the host's eggs. Typically, 2–4 eggs are added to those already present. The eggs of both the host and the whydah are white, although the whydah's are slightly larger. The nestling whydahs mimic the gape pattern of the fledglings of the host species.{{cite web|url=http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/species/pintailed_whydah.php|publisher=Finch Information Center|title=The Pin-Tailed Whydah – Fact Sheet}}

The male pin-tailed whydah is territorial, and one male often has several females in his small group. He has an elaborate courtship flight display, which includes hovering over the female to display his tail. The song is given from a high perch, and consists of rapid squeaking and churring. The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.

Gallery

Vidua macroura -Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa -male-8.jpg|male in breeding plumage
Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) male non-breeding.jpg|male in non-breeding plumage
Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

Pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) female.jpg|female
Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

Pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) male and female.jpg|male displaying to female, São Tomé and Príncipe

File:Vidua macroura MHNT.Z.2010.11.150.20.jpg|Vidua macroura in a clutch of Lonchura cucullata - MHNT