Jackson's widowbird is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and arable land. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
East African Highlands
Typical Environment
It inhabits high-altitude grasslands and adjacent arable land, favoring tall, dense tussock grasses, fallow fields, and lightly grazed pastures. During the breeding season it selects patches with sufficient grass cover for nesting and display. In the nonbreeding season it may use more open farmland edges and recently burnt or regenerating grass. It avoids dense forest and very arid lowlands, staying tied to montane grass ecosystems.
Altitude Range
1600–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Jackson's widowbird is a highland weaver found in Kenya and Tanzania, where males develop striking breeding plumage and perform conspicuous display flights over grasslands. It depends on intact upland tussock grasslands and is threatened by conversion to agriculture and overgrazing. Outside the breeding season it forms flocks and feeds widely on grass seeds and small insects. Protecting remaining high-altitude grasslands is key to its survival.
Temperament
social outside breeding, territorial in breeding season
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with fluttering display flights
Social Behavior
Males establish territories in tall grass during the breeding season and display conspicuously to attract females. Females weave nests low in dense grass clumps. Outside the breeding season, birds form small to medium-sized flocks and often feed alongside other seed-eating weavers.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls are thin, buzzy trills and sharp chips, with males adding harsher rasping notes during display. Vocalizations are not loud but are frequent around territories in early morning and late afternoon.
Plumage
Breeding males are mostly glossy black with contrasting bright shoulder epaulettes and elongated tail plumes; females and non-breeding males are brown and heavily streaked with paler underparts.
Diet
It feeds primarily on the seeds of grasses and sedges, picking them from seedheads or the ground. During the breeding season it supplements its diet with insects such as beetles, termites, and grasshoppers to meet protein demands. It will also take small invertebrates disturbed by grazing or mowing and occasionally glean from crop margins.
Preferred Environment
Foraging occurs in upland grasslands, fallow fields, and field margins with seed-rich grasses. It often feeds on the ground or low in vegetation, moving methodically through tussocks and along edges of cultivated plots.
