Shaft-tailed whydah. Male shaft-tailed whydah (Vidua regia) perching on a branch. The long tail feathers are grown by the male during the breeding sea

---

Shaft-tailed whydah. Male shaft-tailed whydah (Vidua regia) perching on a branch. The long tail feathers are grown by the male during the breeding season and are used as part of a display during competition for females. Once the display period is over, the male sheds his long tail and grows a new plumage similar to that of the female. This bird lives in grasslands in southern Africa, feeding on fallen seeds which it forages for on the ground. Photographed in Namibia.

---

Size: 3449px × 5173px
Photo credit: © DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, africa, african, animal, animals, biological, biology, bird, birds, branch, fauna, feather, feathers, long, male, namibia, namibian, perched, perching, plumage, queen, regia, shaft, shaft-tailed, single, tail, tailed, tree, vidua, whydah, wildlife, zoological, zoology