Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah
Vidua obtusa
Lays its eggs in the nests of Orange-winged Pytilia. The distinctive breeding male has a long, broad tail. Non-breeding males and females are nondescript sparrow-like birds with striped heads and pale underparts. Found in broadleaf woodland, mainly miombo. Most records are of the conspicuous and easily identified breeding-plumaged males. Mimics the inconspicuous vocalizations of its host Orange-winged Pytilia. Breeding male is similar to Eastern Paradise-Whydah, but has a shorter and broader tail, and darker buff and rufous coloration on the nape and breast. Non-breeding male and female are very similar to Eastern, but have a paler bill and lack strong “comma” marks on the cheek. Also similar to female and non-breeding male indigobirds, but larger.
Identification
The breeding male is 31–36 cm (12–14 in) long, and the nonbreeding male and the female are 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) long. Females have been measured to weigh approximately 19.5 g (0.69 oz). The breeding male has long tail feathers with rounded tips. It has a chestnut-orange patch on its nape. The nonbreeding male's underparts are buffy, and its upperparts are grey-brown, with streaks. There are black and white stripes on its head. The female is similar to the nonbreeding male. The immature bird resembles the female, but some of its feathers have buffy edges, and its patterns are less distinct.
Taxonomy
Chapin described the broad-tailed paradise whydah as Steganura aucupum obtusa from Luchenza in 1922. Previously, Vidua obtusa, V. interjecta, V. orientalis, V. paradisaea and V. togoensis were considered to be in the same species, and these five species are sometimes placed in the genus Steganura. The broad-tailed paradise whydah is a monotypic species.
- Scientific name
- Vidua obtusa
- Authority
- (Chapin, 1922)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Viduidae
- Genus
- Vidua
Range and habitat
This whydah is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with an estimated distribution size of 5,060,000 km2 (1,950,000 sq mi). Approximately half of the range overlaps with the range of the long-tailed paradise whydah. The broad-tailed paradise whydah's habitat is woodlands, including miombo and Baikiaea plurijuga woodland, and also acacia savannas.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The broad-tailed paradise whydah is a brood parasite, its host being the orange-winged pytilia (Pytilia afra). The host species only weighs 14–15 g (0.49–0.53 oz) and is thus at a disadvantage. It mimics the host species's call. It feeds on the ground in small flocks, eating seeds. When the broad-tailed paradise whydah is not breeding, it may mix with the long-tailed paradise whydah. Breeding plumage has been observed from February to July in the southeastern Congo Basin. The eggs are white, weighing approximately 1.6 g (0.056 oz). Newborn chicks have loose greyish down, very similar to chicks of the orange-winged pytilia. The incubation period and nestling period are unknown. Irruptions can occur; in 1994, an "invasion" of thousands of whydahs was reported in Kasane, Botswana.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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