Vidua macroura

ORIGIN:
Widely distributed throughout eastern Africa. Found in woodlands, open savanna, and cultivated areas in conjunction with their usual breeding hosts, the Common waxbill, Estrilda astrild.

DIET:
Small grass seeds and occasionally small insects such as termites and grubs.

SPECIFIC FEATURES:

As with other whydahs, males exhibit nuptial plumage changes from a mottled brown (the hen's year-round coloring) to a shiny black head, back, wings, and elongated tail (which often reaches 12 inches or more). A white wing patch along with a white collar and breast contrast nicely with the bright red bill at this time of the year, which correlates with the breeding season of their hosts.

Gathers in large flocks of a hundred or more outside of the breeding season, but in much smaller parties during breeding time when the males become fiercely territorial within the species (over the hens, not the neighborhood).

REPRODUCTION:

Most of the members of this group are parasitic, and Pin tails are no exception. There is one report of a pair actually raising their own young in an abandoned nest of a common waxbill, but since the original nest builders were present in the aviary, it is not certain that they were not actually the foster parents themselves.

Small white or cream/buff eggs are laid in the host's nest at the same time as the builder's eggs are deposited. The chicks may be raised together, if they are of the same age and the number of either is not too high. Whydah chicks are more aggressive than waxbills and may evict the smaller chicks out the door if they get crowded and are enough larger to dominate. Fortunately for the poor waxbills, their numbers are so strong in the wild that a few lost here and there do not negatively impact the species as a whole.

PIN TAILS IN CAPTIVITY

HABITAT DESIGN:

Pin tails need plenty of room to fly and perching in the open to keep their tails in good condition. Since they re-grow a new tail each season, a damaged feather is not cause for great concern, but you will have to look at it the rest of the season as it will not re-grow but will have to be shed at the end of the breeding cycle before a new one will take its place.

They are sturdy birds, requiring little shelter in most mild climates but must have shade to get into during the hottest times of the year. They will search for food on the ground, so keeping this area dry and little free is of utmost importance to discourage the infestation of rodents, which pass on bacterial and parasitic infection.

DIET:

A standard mixture of large and small millets, hulled oats and rice, canary grass seed, and hemp hold them well. Most of the other usual ingredients in "finch mix", i.e. flax, niger, rape, etc., will be ignored or discarded our of the dish, calling rodents for a free meal. Pintails usually ignore live food, but may learn to take small amounts of soaked Zu-Preem onto which powdered or liquid supplements can be added.

BREEDING:

Being parasite breeders, it is most important that the host species be happy in the habitat. Seeing pairs of common (or St. Helena waxbills, as they are also known) or red-eared waxbills building nests is usually enough to stimulate the Pin tails into laying. As these waxbills may be the most numerous birds on earth at this time, the keeper may want to remove their eggs, which are noticeably smaller, to give the best chance to the whydah chicks, at least for the first nest.

It is best to have several more pairs of waxbills ready to go to nest than you have hen whydahs. Not all birds will cycle at exactly the same time. It's best to have as many possible nests with broody reds-eared hens waiting as possible.

Male whydahs can be aggressive during mating season. Therefore, the best results may be obtained from a working colony of waxbills and whydahs only, unless the habitat is exceptionally large. It may also be a good idea to remove the young whydahs when independent, allowing them to mature together.