The marsh widowbird or Hartlaub's widowbird is a bird in the family Ploceidae. The species was first described by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1878.
Region
Central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occupies freshwater marshes, seasonally flooded grasslands, papyrus swamps, and reedbeds along rivers and floodplains. It favors dense stands of sedges and tall grasses for nesting and cover, and will also use rice paddies and other human-modified wetlands where vegetation remains lush. Birds forage along the edges of wetlands as waters recede, moving with changing water levels. Local movements track rainfall and flooding cycles, and the species relies on intact emergent vegetation for breeding.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called Hartlaub's widowbird, this species is a small weaver of marshes and wet grasslands. Breeding males molt into glossy black plumage and perform fluttering display flights over reeds, often showing a warm buff shoulder patch and elongated tail feathers. Outside the breeding season, males resemble the streaky-brown females, blending well with marsh vegetation. It was first described by J. V. B. du Bocage in 1878 and is named in honor of the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with buoyant display flights
Social Behavior
Often forms small groups outside the breeding season and gathers at roosts in tall grasses. During breeding, males establish territories in marshes and perform aerial displays to attract multiple females (polygynous). Nests are woven domes or cups suspended in sedges or reeds a little above water to deter predators.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The voice is a series of thin wheezy notes and soft buzzes, interspersed with chatters. Displaying males add sputtering calls during fluttering flights over marsh vegetation.
Plumage
Breeding males are mostly glossy black with a contrasting warm buff to tawny shoulder panel and elongated tail feathers; non-breeding males and females are brown and heavily streaked with buff edges, offering strong camouflage in reeds.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of grass and sedge seeds, including ripe and half-ripe grains, supplemented by small insects such as beetles, termites, and caterpillars. Takes seeds directly from seedheads and also picks from the ground or shallow water margins. During the breeding season, it increases insect intake to provide protein for nestlings.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense marsh edges, wet grasslands, and among reeds and sedges, often on the ground or low in vegetation. Will use rice fields and fallow wetlands where cover remains adequate. Moves to freshly flooded or recently drained patches where seeds and invertebrates are abundant.
