Scientific name: Vidua macroura
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Viduidae
The Pin-tailed Whydah is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. This whydah is found in many open habitats including open woodland, scrub and cultivation. The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.
It is a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the nests of estrildid finches, especially waxbills. Unlike the Common Cuckoo, it does not destroy the host's eggs. Typically, 2-4 eggs are added to those already present. The eggs of both the host and the firefinch are white, although the whydah's are slightly larger. The nestling whydahs mimic the unique gape pattern of the fledglings of the host species.
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