Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Aves

Paradise Whydah Vidua paradisea

During mating season, the 6 inch male Paradise Whydah of central Africa grows an extraordinary display of ink black tail feathers which measure almost twice as long as its body. He uses its impressive tail, combined with the dynamic coloration of his chest and throat, to perform an exquisite courtship performance for the sparrowlike female. He circles above her head, waving his tail plumes up and down in undulating flight. The female lays her eggs in the nests of unsuspecting Green-Winged Pytilias, which raise the young whydahs with their own chicks.

~A Fly in the Sky © 1996