Breeding male - Bradley Hacker 🦜 - ML537885671 — Breeding male © Bradley Hacker 🦜 eBird S77256636 Macaulay Library ML 298738501

Female/nonbreeding male - Raphaël Nussbaumer - ML537885711 — Female/nonbreeding male © Raphaël Nussbaumer

Breeding male - Stefan Hirsch - ML537885961 — Breeding male © Stefan Hirsch

Nonbreeding male - Niall D Perrins - ML537885941 — Nonbreeding male © Niall D Perrins

Breeding male - Morten Venas - ML248138341 — Breeding male © Morten Venas

Breeding male - Tadeusz Stawarczyk - ML248138361 — Breeding male © Tadeusz Stawarczyk

Male and female - Alexandre Hespanhol Leitão - ML248138421 — Male and female © Alexandre Hespanhol Leitão

Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri

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Identification

A nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Purple Grenadiers. As with other whydahs, breeding males are spectacular, whereas non-breeding males and females are drab. Breeding males are mostly black, with golden-buff coloring on the cap, the belly, and the elongated central tail feathers. Non-breeding males and females have a brownish back, a golden-buff head, and a red bill. Found in rather dry savanna and cultivated areas. Non-breeding male and female can be identified by their red bill and their almost unmarked plain buff head. Not very vocal, but does imitate Purple Grenadier, and gives a quick jumble of high-pitched whistled notes.

Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri

Identification

Exotic species