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Long-tailed Paradise Whydah
Afrikaans name: Gewone Paradysvink
A male Long-tailed Paradise Whydah
Photo © Steven Herbert
Vidua paradisaea
The Long-tailed Paradise Whydah is found in the north-eastern regions of South Africa and all the way up to Ethiopia.
This Whydah is normally found in savanna or woodland areas.
During summer the male Long-tailed Paradise Whydahs develop their long tails and they get their stunning breeding colours. During winter they have a drab brown plumage like the females.
The main food of this bird is grass seeds but they do eat a few insects as well.
The Long-tailed Paradise Whydah is a brood parasite. The female lays her eggs in the nest of a host species such as the Violet-eared Waxbill or Green-winged Pytilia.
References and further reading
A First Guide to South African Birds - 7th Edition - Author: Leonard Gill - Year Published: 1975 - Page: 35Animals of the Kruger National Park - Author: G. de Graaff - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 115
Collins Illustrated Checklist - Birds of Southern Africa - 1st edition - Author: Ber van Perlo - Year Published: 1999 - Page: 82
Field Guide to the Birds of Kruger National Park - Author: Ian Sinclair and Ian Whyte - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 224
Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of Southern Africa - 2nd edi - Author: Editor - Alan Duggan - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 413
Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 5th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 769
Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 6th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 768
Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 426