These are fine birds to enjoy for their antics and the splendid breeding plumage of the male. The Pintail Whydah is one of the most common forms of Whydah available.
DLPW - 2009-09-19 I spotted and took photos of the Pin-Tailed Whydah on July 11, 2009. I live in Cantonment, FL and while bird watching in my back yard as usual, this unusual visitor came in, fighting with a Mockingbird before settling on the ground around the base of one of my feeders for a short time. Until today, I didn't know what he was. Glad to see someone else in the surrounding area (Milton and Pensacola) have also seen this beauty!
Martine - 2008-07-17 And here I thought I was special! A male Pintail Whydah chose my backyard as his playground in the Spring of 2007. I live in East Orange in Southern California -- just a few miles from Tustin. I felt so blessed! Every morning I looked forward to seeing him and his antics and hearing his high-pitched sounds. I got quite attached to the little fellow. He never seemed to be very successful with the ladies though. Not that he didn't try... Then mid October, one day of cool weather and drizzle, and he vanished. I hoped he had simply decided to move on to warmer climates. Bad timing though, as a few days later the devastating San Diego wildfires started and raged on for days. I thought of Whydee and hoped he had made it through. Then this Spring (May 12), to my amazement, there he stood in the middle of my lawn, letting me know with his familiar racket that he was back. He had lost his tail and his breeding plumage, but I just knew it was him. He has been hanging around ever since, looking prettier and his tail growing every day. Throughout the day, he comes and taps on the windows. He is very assertive and unafraid, but still has no success with the female population of assorted species who frequent my bird feeder. I am now thinking that I should call the local pet shops and find him a mate. I feel I owe him that... Is that crazy?
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Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28 How fun for you that little whydah kept coming to see you, FYI, I just purchased one a couple of months ago and just love him his song is very pretty, I bought him at the Chino Swap Meet, you should get one for inside. He was only $30. I noticed this was 3 years ago is he still coming around? my email is angelhairr1@verizon.net. BTW they have girls and boys there. Have fun!
Clifford Bestall - 2012-02-07 I simply cannot understand why people would want to cage and deny birds their freedom. I think this is deeply regrettable. Leave animals in nature please.
Norma Voge - 2011-07-28 Norma Voge - 2011-07-28 I live in Chino Hills as well, I've had one in my backyard for about three days now. My family and I have been enjoying his antics very much. He's been chasing all other birds out of my yard. We had seen one two years ago. That time my husband and I witnessed his courtship. It was the most beautiful display of moves. He would shake his tail and then fly up, and with the help of his tail, would drop down spinning it like a pair of helicopter rotor blades. It was truly fascinating. We're hoping to get to see this again
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Charlie Roche - 2011-07-28 I'd just have to pick it up
irene - 2011-09-20 Glad you posted. I'm in Diamond Bar, and a male in full plumage showed up today and chased my zillions of common yard birds away. Then he strutted about the patio, eating millet seeds, since I don't put out anything fancy. It occurs to me that I photographed a bird I didn't recognize two days ago, and it may be his female. But where would they lay eggs? I have no waxbills...all my finches are common house finches, and a half dozen wandering spice finches (just had a brood of about 10 little ones show up 3 days ago, to feed each morning). Do you know if the whyda would follow the spice finches, or use their nest?
Louise Ridinger - 2011-10-10 10/10/11 I also live in Chino Hills and have had so much fun watching the pintailed whydahs. There is a male in full plumage and two females. They have been here for about two months and often come when I "call". Even though I thought this was a rariety, it has been so much fun! God is so good!
Jeanne - 2010-08-09 We live in Tustin, CA and we have at least two pin tailed Whydah males and four females, duskier color on wings and no long tail. They frequent the ground under the finch feeders, are somewhat aggressive to other birds, but also have a much lower startle threshold than the Lesser Goldfinch. They arrive in the early morning or late afternoon and we can tell when they are in the area as they have a sort of high pitched shriek, unlike the twitter of the native finches. They are beautiful, but I am concerned that if they are parasitic breeders, they might compete heavily with our native birds.
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melinda - 2010-08-10 Would you have a photo of the female whydah? I would like to be able to id the female. Thanks.
Jana Palermo - 2010-08-12 Hi Jeanne:
I live in Anaheim Hills, CA and just saw one at my bird feeders for the first time. Are they escaped exotics?
"Jana"
Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28 Probably someone was breeding them and they got away, I purchased mine at the chino swap meet, I love him he sings so pretty.
Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28 Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28 I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest singing sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
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Toby Jungle - 2011-08-29 Sometimes the females in some species do not sing. They vocalize but do not sing. Hold old? Also, you have just had him/her a month - takes awhile.
Anonymous - 2010-09-10 A pin-tailed whydah has taken up residence in our Yorba Linda, Ca back yard, and is very territorial, chasing all other birds away from the feeders. I have had to set up other feeding areas so the other birds can feast.
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Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28 I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Denise - 2011-08-24 A male came to eat seed at my Brandon Florida home 2 x in the past week. perhaps more.. TODAY, I think he had a female and juvi with him.. Is the female multi-brown with same bright orange beak???
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Charlie Roche - 2011-08-25 Yep she is more tannish and brownish. Congratulations.
C. Blackledge - 2011-08-15 I was recently given a whydah pintail and a society finch that had been paired up, by a breeder who was "looking to get out of the finches". Will this pair even possably work? I'm just curiouse because it's impossable to find a male much less a female whydah where I live. Just let me know your opinion or any advice you have. Thank You.
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Leila Peters - 2011-08-16 I dont think this will ever work out - as they are totally different. The male has usually that long tail-plumage and the female has'nt . These birds are normally seen in the wild flying across fields on the highway. I wonder if this one isnt a wild-caught one. I have'nt come across a person who breeds pintail whydas. Good luck.
Charlie Roche - 2011-08-16 All have an opinion but according to several articles on the Internet, the various finches will cross breed. I looked up the Pintail specifically and there are many examples of cross breeding this finch. If you do not wish to have them cross breed - you will have to separate them. Good luck and enjoy either way. Some say "never cross bred" and others say go ahead. Some pups are achieved - some bunnies also by mixed breeds.
Donna - 2011-08-03 We saw this bird near our "finch feeder" (niger seed) in the early evening on 8-3-11. We were intrigued by its plumage and relatively small size. Is it a member of the finch family and is it likely to be a former pet?
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Charlie Roche - 2011-08-04 You are the third person who has written in - within two weeks that has seen one of these outside in their bird feeder. Wish I knew where you all lived. I can't imagine this wasn't someones pet. He is by himself and hasn't gone into a flock of any type. He obviously doesn't have a flock . He is by himself. I just think it has to be someones pet.
These are fine birds to enjoy for their antics and the splendid breeding plumage of the male. The Pintail Whydah is one of the most common forms of Whydah available.
I spotted and took photos of the Pin-Tailed Whydah on July 11, 2009. I live in Cantonment, FL and while bird watching in my back yard as usual, this unusual visitor came in, fighting with a Mockingbird before settling on the ground around the base of one of my feeders for a short time. Until today, I didn't know what he was. Glad to see someone else in the surrounding area (Milton and Pensacola) have also seen this beauty!
And here I thought I was special! A male Pintail Whydah chose my backyard as his playground in the Spring of 2007. I live in East Orange in Southern California -- just a few miles from Tustin. I felt so blessed! Every morning I looked forward to seeing him and his antics and hearing his high-pitched sounds. I got quite attached to the little fellow. He never seemed to be very successful with the ladies though. Not that he didn't try... Then mid October, one day of cool weather and drizzle, and he vanished. I hoped he had simply decided to move on to warmer climates. Bad timing though, as a few days later the devastating San Diego wildfires started and raged on for days. I thought of Whydee and hoped he had made it through. Then this Spring (May 12), to my amazement, there he stood in the middle of my lawn, letting me know with his familiar racket that he was back. He had lost his tail and his breeding plumage, but I just knew it was him. He has been hanging around ever since, looking prettier and his tail growing every day. Throughout the day, he comes and taps on the windows. He is very assertive and unafraid, but still has no success with the female population of assorted species who frequent my bird feeder. I am now thinking that I should call the local pet shops and find him a mate. I feel I owe him that... Is that crazy?
How fun for you that little whydah kept coming to see you, FYI, I just purchased one a couple of months ago and just love him his song is very
pretty, I bought him at the Chino Swap Meet, you should get one for inside.
He was only $30. I noticed this was 3 years ago is he still coming around?
my email is angelhairr1@verizon.net. BTW they have girls and boys there. Have fun!
I simply cannot understand why people would want to cage and deny birds their freedom. I think this is deeply regrettable. Leave animals in nature please.
Norma Voge - 2011-07-28
I live in Chino Hills as well, I've had one in my backyard for about three days now. My family and I have been enjoying his antics very much. He's been chasing all other birds out of my yard. We had seen one two years ago. That time my husband and I witnessed his courtship. It was the most beautiful display of moves. He would shake his tail and then fly up, and with the help of his tail, would drop down spinning it like a pair of helicopter rotor blades. It was truly fascinating. We're hoping to get to see this again
I'd just have to pick it up
Glad you posted. I'm in Diamond Bar, and a male in full plumage showed up today and chased my zillions of common yard birds away. Then he strutted about the patio, eating millet seeds, since I don't put out anything fancy. It occurs to me that I photographed a bird I didn't recognize two days ago, and it may be his female. But where would they lay eggs? I have no waxbills...all my finches are common house finches, and a half dozen wandering spice finches (just had a brood of about 10 little ones show up 3 days ago, to feed each morning). Do you know if the whyda would follow the spice finches, or use their nest?
10/10/11 I also live in Chino Hills and have had so much fun watching the pintailed whydahs. There is a male in full plumage and two females. They have been here for about two months and often come when I "call". Even though I thought this was a rariety, it has been so much fun! God is so good!
We live in Tustin, CA and we have at least two pin tailed Whydah males and four females, duskier color on wings and no long tail. They frequent the ground under the finch feeders, are somewhat aggressive to other birds, but also have a much lower startle threshold than the Lesser Goldfinch. They arrive in the early morning or late afternoon and we can tell when they are in the area as they have a sort of high pitched shriek, unlike the twitter of the native finches. They are beautiful, but I am concerned that if they are parasitic breeders, they might compete heavily with our native birds.
Would you have a photo of the female whydah? I would like to be able to id the female. Thanks.
Hi Jeanne:
I live in Anaheim Hills, CA and just saw one at my bird feeders for the first time. Are they escaped exotics?
"Jana"
Probably someone was breeding them and they got away, I purchased mine at the chino swap meet, I love him he sings so pretty.
Marilyn Martin - 2011-08-28
I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest singing sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Sometimes the females in some species do not sing. They vocalize but do not sing. Hold old? Also, you have just had him/her a month - takes awhile.
A pin-tailed whydah has taken up residence in our Yorba Linda, Ca back yard, and is very territorial, chasing all other birds away from the feeders. I have had to set up other feeding areas so the other birds can feast.
I purchased a Pintail Whydah at the Chino Swap Meet on Euclid & Riverside in Chino, CA. I just love him, he has the prettiest sounds and not obnoxious sounding, he was only $30, I actually prefer him over a canary now, I also have a canary, Green Singer and European Goldfinch, all singing birds. So far my Goldfinch hasn't sang at all since I purchased him over a month ago? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
A male came to eat seed at my Brandon Florida home 2 x in the past week. perhaps more.. TODAY, I think he had a female and juvi with him.. Is the female multi-brown with same bright orange beak???
Yep she is more tannish and brownish. Congratulations.
I was recently given a whydah pintail and a society finch that had been paired up, by a breeder who was "looking to get out of the finches". Will this pair even possably work? I'm just curiouse because it's impossable to find a male much less a female whydah where I live. Just let me know your opinion or any advice you have. Thank You.
I dont think this will ever work out - as they are totally different. The male has usually that long tail-plumage and the female has'nt . These birds are normally seen in the wild flying across fields on the highway. I wonder if this one isnt a wild-caught one. I have'nt come across a person who breeds pintail whydas. Good luck.
All have an opinion but according to several articles on the Internet, the various finches will cross breed. I looked up the Pintail specifically and there are many examples of cross breeding this finch. If you do not wish to have them cross breed - you will have to separate them. Good luck and enjoy either way. Some say "never cross bred" and others say go ahead. Some pups are achieved - some bunnies also by mixed breeds.
We saw this bird near our "finch feeder" (niger seed) in the early evening on 8-3-11. We were intrigued by its plumage and relatively small size. Is it a member of the finch family and is it likely to be a former pet?
You are the third person who has written in - within two weeks that has seen one of these outside in their bird feeder. Wish I knew where you all lived. I can't imagine this wasn't someones pet. He is by himself and hasn't gone into a flock of any type. He obviously doesn't have a flock . He is by himself. I just think it has to be someones pet.