Shaft tailed whydah

Introduction: Shaft-tailed whydahs (Vidua regia) will inhabit areas with decent annual rainfall such as mopane savannah and forest savannah and woodland. Umbrella thorn, camelthorn and some Kalahari sand woodlands are also favoured.

Distribution: Common throughout most of the country less for the Namib Desert, with isolated population in southern Namibia.
Diet: Eats small grass seeds such as millet.

Description: Dark brown (streaky) crown. Breast and throat tawny yellow. Orange or pink bill, dark brown eyes with a narrow gold eye ring. Blackish-brown flight feathers.
Breeding: Sets of 3 to 4 eggs are normally laid in the nest of the violet-earred waxbill from February to April and incubated for around 12 days.

Size: 11cm. Breeding males 27 to 30cm including the tail.

Weight: 15g.