| Sahel paradise whydah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A Sahel paradise whydah (male), photographed in The Gambia in December 2021 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Viduidae |
| Genus: | Vidua |
| Species: | V. orientalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Vidua orientalis Heuglin, 1870 | |
The Sahel paradise whydah, yellow-naped whydah or northern paradise whydah (Vidua orientalis) is a small songbird.
Vidua orientalis has often been considered a subspecies of eastern paradise whydah, Vidua paradisea, since both birds parasitise the green-winged pytilia, Pytilia melba, a common species of estrildid finch. However, the finch has two subspecies, nominate melba and citerior, which are sometimes treated as separate species. The ranges of these two taxa correspond well to those of V.paradisea and V. orientalis.
Vidua orientalis is a resident breeding bird in west Africa. It lives in open acacia savannah with scattered trees. [3]
The males in breeding plumage have black back and wings, with a rufous breast. The head is black, with a chestnut nape and a black bill. The dual-length ornamental tail feathers are black. These tail feathers can reach a length of 195–244 millimetres (7.7–9.6 in) and a width of 24–32 millimetres (0.94–1.26 in). Feet are dark grayish. When in eclipse (non-breeding) plumage, the males are similar to the hen, as they are tawny above with narrow mantle streaking. In females a dark line extends behind the eye. Juveniles are quite similar to the hens. [3]
The Sahel paradise whydah does not build its own nests, but parasitises the green-winged pytilia, Pytilia melba, a common species of estrildid finch. These birds do not destroy the host green-winged pytilia's eggs, but they deposit their own eggs in the nests of their hosts, adding them to those already present. As in other whydah species to attract hens the songs of the males mimic the song of their hosts. These birds are not monogamous pairs, in fact males breed with many females. In a breeding season females may lay about 22 eggs, that hatch after 12–13 days of incubation. The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain. [3]
The indigobirds and whydahs, together with the cuckoo-finch, make up the family Viduidae; they are small passerine birds native to Africa.
The bronze mannikin or bronze munia is a small passerine bird of the Afrotropics. This very social estrildid finch is an uncommon to locally abundant bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, where it is resident, nomadic or irruptive in mesic savanna or forest margin habitats. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 8,100,000 km2. It is the smallest and most widespread of four munia species on the African mainland, the other being black-and-white, red-backed and magpie mannikin. It co-occurs with the Madagascar mannikin on the Comoro Islands, and was introduced to Puerto Rico. Especially in the West Africa, it is considered a pest in grain and rice fields. It is locally trapped for the pet bird trade.
The pin-tailed whydah 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.
The long-tailed paradise whydah or eastern paradise whydah is from the family Viduidae of the order Passeriformes. They are small passerines with short, stubby bills found across Sub-Saharan Africa. They are mostly granivorous and feed on seeds that have ripen and fall on the ground. The ability to distinguish between males and females is quite difficult unless it is breeding season. During this time, the males molt into breeding plumage where they have one distinctive feature which is their long tail. It can grow up to three times longer than its own body or even more. Usually, the whydahs look like ordinary sparrows with short tails during the non-breeding season. In addition, hybridization can occur with these paradise whydahs. Males are able to mimic songs where females can use that to discover their mate. However, there are some cases where females don't use songs to choose their mate but they use either male characteristics like plumages or they can have a shortage of options with song mimicry. Paradise whydahs are brood parasites. They won't destroy the eggs that are originally there but will lay their own eggs in other songbirds nest. Overall, these whydahs are considered least concerned based on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
The paradise riflebird is a passerine bird of the family Paradisaeidae. It is one of four riflebird species in the genus Ptiloris. It is found in subtropical, temperate rainforests in eastern Australia. The species is sexually dimorphic; the male is black with iridescent blue-green patches, while the female is gray-brown and white.
The genus Ptiloris consists of four allopatric species of birds in the family Paradisaeidae. These birds of paradise are commonly known as riflebirds, so named for the likeness of their black velvety plumage to the uniform of the Rifle Brigade. Alternatively, the bird's cry is similar to a rifle being fired and hitting its target but a call like this is not commonly reported. They are distributed in the rainforests of New Guinea and Eastern Australia.
The orange-winged pytilia, also known as the golden-backed pytilia, is a species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being of least concern.
The red-headed finch is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,600,000 km2. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The long-tailed finch is a common species of estrildid finch found in northern Australia, from the Kimberley region to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is a predominantly fawn-coloured bird with a pale grey head and prominent black bib and eyes. It inhabits dry savannah habitats in Australia and adapts readily to aviculture.
The cuckoo-finch, also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks. The eggs are laid in the nests of other birds.
The broad-tailed paradise whydah is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is found woodland and acacia savanna habitat in Sub-Saharan Africa from Angola to Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique. A brood parasite, it has a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being of least concern.
The quailfinch indigobird is a small songbird. It is a resident breeding bird in The Gambia, Nigeria and Cameroon. It occurs in isolated localities, especially on river flood plains.
