Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Shaft-tailed Whydah
Vidua regia
Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia) is a member of the Viduidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Viduidae Indigobirds, Whydahs
- Genus Vidua
- Species regia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.4 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Viduidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia) is a species of bird in the Viduidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe to n South Africa and s Mozambique.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.4 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 4.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Shaft-tailed Whydah?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is a very small bird that weighs around 14.4 g.
Where does the Shaft-tailed Whydah live?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is found across Africa with a range covering AF Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe to n South Africa and s Mozambique, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Shaft-tailed Whydah belong to?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia) belongs to the Viduidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Shaft-tailed Whydah eat?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Shaft-tailed Whydah migrate?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Shaft-tailed Whydah endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Shaft-tailed Whydah make?
1 real field recording of the Shaft-tailed Whydah — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Shaft-tailed Whydah's range?
The Shaft-tailed Whydah has a mapped global range of about 2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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