Pin tailed whydah finch

The Common Waxbill, the St. Helena Waxbill, is the only nest they will lay in and that finch is rarely bred in captivity. In order for the male to attract a mate, he must be able to imitate the songs and calls of the foster finch perfectly.

Consequently, the Pintail Whydah will have perfected two sets of songs, that of his species and that of the foster species. If he is successful, the female will deposit her eggs in the nest of the waxbill and the hatchlings will grow up with the waxbill babies.

The hatchlings have a mouth pattern and a first plumage that matches that of the other nestlings, as well as the postures and begging calls. As the hatchlings age, they learn the calls and patterns of the foster parents so that they may find the right foster parents to deposit their own eggs into when they are mature.

Quite fascinating, but it makes it difficult to breed them in captivity! Potential Problems: Pintail Whydahs are fairly hardy birds and almost all illnesses can be traced to improper diet, dirty cages, and drafts.

A balanced diet and plenty of exercise will prevent most illnesses. Know your birds and watch for real drastic changes as indications of illness. Some signs of illness to be aware of are droppings that are not black and white, feathers that are fluffed and the bird tucks it's head under it's wing, lack of appetite, wheezing, and acting feeble and run down.

Some of the common illnesses and injuries your finch could contract are broken wings or legs, cuts and open wounds, overgrown beaks and nails, ingrown feathers, feather picking, metabolic problems from lack of exercise, weight loss, heat stroke, shock, concussion, egg binding, diarrhea, mites, colds, baldness, scaly legs, sore eyes, tumors, constipation, and diarrhea.

First you can try and isolate the bird in a hospital cage where you cover all but the front of the cage and add a light bulb or heating pad to keep the interior of the cage at a constant temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove all perches and put food and water dishes on the floor. If you don't see improvements within a few hours, take the bird to an avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Availability: Pintail Whydahs are relatively expensive little birds.

More Classifieds. Pintail Whydah. Types of Finches Index. Latest Reader Comment - See More. I have 2 feeders in my garden. The black and white whydah chases all the other finches away. I try to chase the whydah away but this Scientific Classification.

View 63 Animal Stories on Pintail Whydah. Comments Classifieds. Add Your Animal Story. I try to chase the whydah away but this doesn't work. Hens in breeding condition have bolder overall coloration and have blackish upper mandible which becomes more reddish-brown when not breeding. Juveniles are similar in appearance to the hens, but with buffy feather edges, a duller tone, no white in the tail, and horn-colored bills.

Sexing Males develop nuptual breeding plumage during the breeding season. When in eclipse non-breeding plumage, males maintain the pink to red bill, have slightly larger bodies, and stronger streaks. Males sing and display. Song Rapidly repeated "tseet-tseet-tseet" notes. Pictures If you keep this species and have a photo of your birds to share, please submit your photo for possible inclusion on this site!

Credit will be given to you. Male in breeding plumage. Photo by Clive Reid. Male displaying for a female. Photos by Bernard Dupont. Photo by Bernard Dupont. Male in eclipse plumage. Photo by Allan Hopkins. Male displaying for female. Photo by Mike Comber. Photo by Alan Manson. Photo by Tom Benson. Photo by Ian White. Photo by Derek Keats. Favorite foods Half-ripe seed heads, greens, sliced cucumber with seeds, sprouted seed, insects.

Natural habitat Open grasslands and savannahs with scattered bushes and trees, especially near water, forest clearings, along tropical rivers, gardens and cultivated areas. Habits Whydahs are avian brood parasites and require specific species of finches to raise their offspring. Whydahs do not build their own nests, but rather deposit their eggs in the nests of other species which act as hosts.

The host species then raises the whydah chicks alongside their own. Pin-tailed Whydahs are capable of using a number of hosts, in contrast to the other whydah species which are more host-specific. Whydahs do not form monogamous pairs; rather, a male whydah will breed with numerous females, and a female whydah will go on to breed with numerous males in order to spread her eggs over multiple territories.

BirdLife International. Vidua macroura. The Internet connection is missing right now, but you're able to browse previously opened pages offline. Mask wearing is now required indoors only, vaccinated or not, per county directive. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura. Conservation Status: Least Concern Population is stable via inhabiting an extremely large range.

Diet Half-ripe seed heads, greens, grass seeds, sprouted seed, insects. Fun Facts about the Pin-tailed Whydah The Pin-tailed Whydah places its eggs in the nest of a waxbill which raises the baby pin-tailed whydahs along with its own babies. Pin-tailed whydahs are an overlooked species in wildlife trading. Location: Diversity of Birds. African Pied Crow. American Common Goldeneye. Asian Fairy Bluebird. Bar-headed Goose. Barred Holland Chicken. Barred Owl.

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