Pointed tail widow of paradise
| Pointed tail widow of paradise | ||||||||||||
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Pointed tail widow of paradise, male |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Vidua paradisaea | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The pointed- tailed paradise widow ( Vidua paradisaea ), also known as the narrow- tailed paradise widow , is a species of bird belonging to the widow family . During the courtship season, this species shows a noticeable sexual dimorphism . In Europe the species is therefore occasionally kept as an ornamental bird. Because of its long tail, it needs to be kept in larger aviaries.
description
The females of the pointed tail paradise widow reach a body length of 13 centimeters. The males are slightly larger and measure up to 15 centimeters when resting. In the splendid dress, when the males have developed their long tail, they measure up to 26 centimeters.
In their splendid dress, males have a broad, golden-yellow neck band. The chest is light maroon. On the abdomen, the breast color changes to a light yellow. The beak, head, throat, back, wings and elytra are black. The long tail and its covers are also black. When resting, the males resemble the sparrow-like colored females.
Way of life and distribution
Like all widow birds , the pointed-tail paradise widow is a breeding parasite of fine finches . It uses the Wienerastrild and the Buntastrild as a brood host . The female lays one egg in each of the finches' nests. Singing and calls are similar to those of the brood hosts. Courtship also involves scratching the tail feathers as an instrumental sound .
The distribution area of the pointed tail paradise widow stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia and in a south-westerly direction across East Africa to Natal and Transvaal and in the west to Angola and northern Namibia .
literature
- Horst Bielfeld : Knowing and caring for 300 ornamental birds. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-8001-5737-2 .
Web links
- Vidua paradisaea inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2013.