Shaft-tailed Whydah

Vidua regia (Linnaeus, 1766)

14 gWeight

The shaft-tailed whydah or queen whydah (Vidua regia) is a small, sparrow-like bird in the genus Vidua.

Busiest months: November–December · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Shaft-tailed Whydah has been recorded at 92 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Avis DamNamibia158 records
Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa133 records
Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia126 records

More places

Okonjima Nature ReserveNamibia111 records
Daan Viljoen Game ReserveNamibia107 records
Polokwane GRSouth Africa93 records
Madikwe GRSouth Africa81 records
Kgomo-KgomoSouth Africa78 records
Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia75 records
Etosha NP – Halali CampNamibia74 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Namibia South Africa Botswana Zimbabwe Zambia Angola

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 shaft-tailed whydah or queen whydah (Vidua regia) is a small, sparrow-like bird in the genus Vidua. During the breeding season the male has black crown and upper body plumage, golden breast and four elongated black tail shaft feathers with expanded tips. After the breeding season is over, the male sheds its long tail and grows olive brown female-like plumage.

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

Questions

How big is the Shaft-tailed Whydah?

The Shaft-tailed Whydah weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Shaft-tailed Whydah live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe to northern South Africa and southern Mozambique. It is most often recorded in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.