Bird Name Eastern Paradise Whydah Latin Name Vidua paradisaea Status Least Concern Scientific Classification Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Order:Passeriformes Family:Viduidae Genus:Vidua Species:V.
paradisaea General Information The Eastern Paradise Whydah is a small, widely occurring bird of eastern Africa.
It gathers in flocks but separates into pairs during the mating season.
Physical Description This bird is both dichromatic and dimorphic during the breeding season.
When in "breeding mode", the male has black plumage along its back and tail, with a yellow nape and chestnut colored lower breast and belly.
It also grows new tail feathers that can reach lengths of 14 inches.
During the non-breeding season, it loses its striking black and yellow coloration, becoming brownish in color with black streaks on its head.
The female has grayish, black-streaked upperparts with a brown-colored head.
Its breast is pale gray and its belly is white.
The Eastern Paradise Whydah weighs, on average, close to 21 g.
Diet The Eastern Paradise Whydah feeds on grass seeds such as millet and wild oats, but will occasionally take termites and grubs.
Habitat It inhabits dry thorn scrub and open or woodland savannahs throughout eastern Africa.
Its range encompasses southern Sudan, western Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, eastern Tanzania, and northeastern Uganda.
Difficult to breed in captivity because of their brood nature, these finches, especially the males, are sold as pets in the U.
S.
and other countries.
When breeding these birds in captivity, a male usually has access to multiple females, and each female needs access to multiple nests.