Long-tailed Widowbird

The Long-tailed Widowbird is a striking grassland bird of eastern and southern Africa, best known for the extraordinary tail grown by breeding males. Outside the breeding season, both sexes are dull, streaky brown and sparrow-like, but during the breeding season the male molts into glossy black plumage set off by bold red-and-buff shoulder patches (epaulettes) and an enormously elongated, broad black tail that can reach around 50 centimeters, several times the length of his body.

This exaggerated tail is a classic example of sexual selection, evolved through female preference for males with longer tails, and it comes at a real cost to the male's flight efficiency and predator evasion.

Females and non-breeding males lack the long tail and epaulettes, appearing as streaky brown birds similar to many other grassland seedeaters.

Key field marks

• Breeding male: glossy black body, bright red-and-buff shoulder patches, and an extremely long, broad black tail
• Slow, labored, fluttering flight of the breeding male, with the tail often drooping below the body
• Non-breeding male and female: streaky brown, sparrow-like, with a short tail and no epaulettes
• Stout, conical bill typical of the Euplectes group

Similar species

• Fan-tailed Widowbird and Red-collared Widowbird are smaller with much shorter tails, even in breeding plumage.
• Female and non-breeding male widowbirds and bishops are very similar; look for habitat (tall grassland) and check for any accompanying long-tailed males.
• No other African grassland songbird shows a comparably exaggerated tail length relative to body size.

Range

Found in eastern and southern Africa, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and parts of East Africa such as Kenya and Tanzania, generally in higher-altitude grassland regions.

Habitat

Occupies open grassland, highveld, and rank grass in moist areas, often near vleis or seasonally damp ground, avoiding heavily wooded or cultivated land.

Movements

Mainly resident, though some local movements may occur outside the breeding season as birds gather in flocks to forage.

Behavior

During the breeding season, males are strongly territorial, defending grassland territories where they perform slow, floating display flights with the long tail spread to attract females. Outside the breeding season, birds are gregarious and form flocks, often mixed with other seedeaters.

Voice

Gives buzzy, wheezy, chattering calls and a jumbled, insect-like song, often delivered during the male's display flight.

Feeding

Forages mainly on the ground for grass and other seeds, and also takes insects, particularly when feeding young.

Nesting and breeding

The male is polygynous, mating with several females who each build a domed grass nest low in dense grass within his territory and raise the brood largely without his direct assistance beyond territory defense. Breeding coincides with the growth of long grass in the rainy season.