Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pin-tailed Whydah
Vidua macroura
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) is a member of the Viduidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 15.7 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 macroura
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.7 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 Pin-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 Pin-tailed Whydah is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) is a species of bird in the Viduidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Mauritania to Sudan and Eritrea, s to s South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.9 cm and a tail of around 4.7 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 13.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pin-tailed Whydah?
The Pin-tailed Whydah is a small bird that weighs around 15.7 g.
Where does the Pin-tailed Whydah live?
The Pin-tailed Whydah is found across Africa with a range covering AF Mauritania to Sudan and Eritrea, s to s South Africa, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pin-tailed Whydah belong to?
The Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) belongs to the Viduidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pin-tailed Whydah eat?
The Pin-tailed Whydah is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Pin-tailed Whydah migrate?
The Pin-tailed Whydah is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pin-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 Pin-tailed Whydah make?
1 real field recording of the Pin-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 Pin-tailed Whydah's range?
The Pin-tailed Whydah has a mapped global range of about 13.2 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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Guides for this bird
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