Broad-tailed paradise whydah

The broad-tailed paradise whydah is a captivating bird from the Viduidae family, commonly found across Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Angola to Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique. It thrives in woodland and acacia savanna habitats. Notable for its unique breeding habits, this bird is a brood parasite, relying on other species to raise its young. Despite its parasitic lifestyle, the broad-tailed paradise whydah is classified as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), thanks to its extensive range and stable population.

First described by Chapin in 1922 as Steganura aucupum obtusa, the bird is now recognized as a monotypic species, meaning it has no subspecies. The breeding male is quite a spectacle, larger than the nonbreeding male and female, adorned with long tail feathers and a striking chestnut-orange patch on its nape.

The broad-tailed paradise whydah favors woodlands and acacia savannas across various African countries. Its survival strategy involves mimicking the calls of its host species, the orange-winged pytilia, to lay its eggs in their nests. These whydahs feed primarily on seeds and often travel in small flocks. During the breeding season, which lasts from February to July in the southeastern Congo Basin, the whydahs display their breeding plumage. They lay white eggs that closely resemble those of their host.

Interestingly, there have been instances where thousands of these birds have been spotted in a single area, indicating potential irruptions. However, their population remains stable, and they continue to be classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List.