Sahel Paradise Whydah (Vidua orientalis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sahel Paradise Whydah

Vidua orientalis Heuglin, 1870

13–14 cmLength18 gWeight

The Sahel paradise whydah, or northern paradise whydah (Vidua orientalis) is a small songbird in the passerine family Viduidae.

Busiest months: December · Most records: Cameroon, Senegal, Niger

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Sahel Paradise Whydah has been recorded at 17 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Waza NPCameroon39 records
  2. RN de PopenguineSenegal28 records
  3. W National ParkNiger17 records
More places
  1. Zakouma NPChad14 records
  2. Tendaba – Tendaba CampGambia7 records
  3. Toubacouta – Mangrove et brousseSenegal4 records
  4. PN des Oiseaux du DjoudjSenegal3 records
  5. Abuko NRGambia2 records
  6. DjenneMali1 record
  7. Mali NPMali1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

CameroonSenegalNigerChadGambiaMaliEthiopiaNigeria

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Sahel paradise whydah, or northern paradise whydah (Vidua orientalis) is a small songbird in the passerine family Viduidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sahel Paradise Whydah?

The Sahel Paradise Whydah is about 13–14 cm long and weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Sahel Paradise Whydah live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, northeastern. It is most often recorded in Cameroon, Senegal and Niger.

When is the best time to see the Sahel Paradise Whydah?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Sahel Paradise Whydah endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sahel Paradise Whydah as Least Concern.

What does the Sahel Paradise Whydah eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Sahel Paradise Whydah in?

It belongs to the family Indigobirds, Whydahs (Viduidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
13–14 cm
Weight
18 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
75 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
11 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western, central, northeastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Indigobirds, Whydahs Viduidae
Genus
Vidua

Other birds in the genus Vidua

Village IndigobirdVillage IndigobirdVidua chalybeataPurple IndigobirdPurple IndigobirdVidua purpurascensJambandu IndigobirdJambandu IndigobirdVidua raricolaBarka IndigobirdBarka IndigobirdVidua larvaticolaDusky IndigobirdDusky IndigobirdVidua funereaZambezi IndigobirdZambezi IndigobirdVidua codringtoniWilson's IndigobirdWilson's IndigobirdVidua wilsoniQuailfinch IndigobirdQuailfinch IndigobirdVidua nigeriaeJos Plateau IndigobirdJos Plateau IndigobirdVidua maryaeCameroon IndigobirdCameroon IndigobirdVidua camerunensisPin-tailed WhydahPin-tailed WhydahVidua macrouraSteel-blue WhydahSteel-blue WhydahVidua hypocherina
Sahel Paradise Whydah

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

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