Long-tailed Widowbird/Langstertflap
Posted by smithfieldbirding on 13 January, 2012
Photo Lynden Lund
Here is a bird we all instantly recognise. When not breeding, we hardly notice him because he looks very similar to the female of the species. But come breeding season, and the male Long-tailed Widowbird truly lives up to his name. His colouring changes and the tail feathers triple their length up to an extraordinary 500 cm. The longer his tail, the better his chances with the females. And this handsome show-off has 5 to 6 wives!
The Long-tailed Widowbird belongs to the same family group that includes weavers and Queleas. They are common local residents and nomads, from the Eastern Cape coast to the Highveld. Their preferred habitat is open grassland where they forage on the ground for seeds and insects. It is when they display, flying low and slow over the tall grasses, spectacular gleaming ebony tails undulating gracefully, or folded under like pouting bustles, that they grab our attention. While flying, the deep red and white on the bend of the wing is clearly seen. The whitish bill also contrasts well with the black body colouring. These birds are usually silent but while displaying, the male call is a sharp zik zik zik zik.
What a tragedy if, because of rapid land development, we should no longer experience the enchanting sight of the Long-tailed Widowbird dancing across the veld.
