Jackson’s Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni

Identification. Jackson’s Widowbird is restricted to the highland grassland in East Africa. The male in breeding plumage is black with a decurved tail of broad feathers, a tawny epaulet, and a pale bill. Non-breeding birds have an orange underwing – this is dark in the Long-tailed Widowbird and Marsh Widowbird. The female Jackson’s Widowbird is brownish overall, pale buff to orange-buff below, with a heavy bill.

Distribution. Jackson’s Widowbird occurs in Kenya and northern Tanzania, with no subspecies recognised (see map above, based on Birds of Africa). It is locally common, but considered near threatened, since it’s habitat is increasingly fragmented by agricultural development.

Habitat. Jackson’s Widowbird inhabits open grassland at 1500-3000m.

Food. Jackson’s Widowbird is always gregarious, and forages in mixed flocks even when males are in breeding plumage. It feeds on grass seeds, particularly Themeda triandra, and also Panicum species. Large flocks may damage crops in rural small-holdings. It feeds on termite alates which are hawked in flight.

Breeding. Jackson’s Widowbird is unique in the weaver family in having a lekking mating system. Males are solitary, polygynous and highly territorial. Males display at dancing rings which are circles of flattened grass around a central tuft of grass. Each male owns 2-3 dancing rings, and they trim and shape their tufts.

Males display from mid-morning to late afternoon and then leave their territories to feed. When dancing, a male stands on his ring facing the central tuft and jumps energetically to various heights from a few cm to almost 1m (see YouTuube video below). A female flying over or watching from the grass nearby may then approach him.Once a female has chosen a male to mate with, she builds a nest by herself. The nest is a domed ball of woven grass with a side entrance, with living grass bent down over it to form a bower. The nest is lined with grass seedheads. It is placed within 10cm of the ground in any grass tuft that is about 50 cm tall. Nests may be clustered, with more than 20 in a small area. The nest site is placed outside the male’s lek area, but within 300 m of it. The female incubates the eggs and feeds the chicks with no help from the male. Chicks are fed on regurgitated grass seeds.

Breeding season
Dec-Jan and Apr-Jun, and recorded also in Aug-Sept and Nov in Kenya; timing in any year dependent on rains

Nest site
placed within 10 cm of ground in tuft of grass c. 50 cm tall

Nest building
Nest built entirely by female

Colony size
Solitary nester, but nests may be clustered, with more than 20 in a small area

Clutch size
2-4 eggs

Egg colour
pale blue, greyish or greenish, densely marked with fine grey and brown flecks

Egg size
average size of eight eggs 22.5 x 15.4.mm

Incubation
incubation by female only, period 12-13 days

Chicks and nestling period
chicks fed by female only, nestling period 17 days