Long-tailed Paradise Whydah
Long-tailed Paradise WhydahLong-tailed Paradise WhydahLong-tailed Paradise WhydahLong-tailed Paradise Whydah

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah

Vidua paradisaea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Meru National Park
24 Verified records at Meru National Park
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The long-tailed paradise whydah or eastern paradise whydah (Vidua paradisaea) is a bird in the family Viduidae of the order Passeriformes. It is a small passerine with a short, stubby bill, found across eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia south to South Africa and west to Angola. It is mostly granivorous, and feed on seeds that have ripened and fallen on the ground. The ability to distinguish between males and females is quite difficult unless it is breeding season. During this time, the males moult into breeding plumage where they have a distinctive long tail. This can be up to three times longer than its own body or even more. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Long-tailed Paradise Whydah sighting in Meru National Park, based on 24 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Meru National Park

Village Indigobird
LC

Village Indigobird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vidua chalybeata

10–20% · With luck
Pin-tailed Whydah
LC

Pin-tailed Whydah

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vidua macroura

5–10% · With luck
Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah
LC

Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vidua obtusa

Insufficient data
Steel-blue Whydah
LC

Steel-blue Whydah

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vidua hypocherina

Insufficient data
Superb Starling
LC

Superb Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis superbus

80–90% · Very likely
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
LC

White-headed Buffalo-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dinemellia dinemelli

80–90% · Very likely
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
LC

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plocepasser mahali

80–90% · Very likely
Fork-tailed Drongo
LC

Fork-tailed Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus adsimilis

70–80% · Very likely
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
LC

Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubalornis niger

70–80% · Very likely
Northern White-crowned Shrike
LC

Northern White-crowned Shrike

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eurocephalus ruppelli

60–70% · Likely
Chestnut Weaver
LC

Chestnut Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ploceus rubiginosus

60–70% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

60–70% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
10–20
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
10–20
Aug
20–30
Sep
40–50
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
20–30%
2 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
3 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
4 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
5 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
6 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
7 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
8 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
9 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
10 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
11 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
12 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
13 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
14 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
15 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
16 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
17 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
5–10%
18 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
19 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
20 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
21 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
22 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
23 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
24 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
25 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
26 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
27 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
<5%
28 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
29 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
30 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
31 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
32 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
33 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
34 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
35 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Long-tailed Paradise Whydah in Meru National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Long-tailed Paradise Whydah sighting in Meru National Park, based on 24 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Long-tailed Paradise Whydah in Meru National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Long-tailed Paradise Whydah in Meru National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Meru National Park