Steel-blue Whydah

Steel-blue Whydah

Vidua hypocherina

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

289 Verified sightings at Ngorongoro Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
938 In all 9 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Steel-blue Whydah

The steel-blue whydah (Vidua hypocherina) is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
2 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
3 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
4 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
6 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
7 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
8 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
9 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Steel-blue Whydah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Steel-blue Whydah sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 289 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 160th most-seen of the 519 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Steel-blue Whydah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

April

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Steel-blue Whydah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in May to January, the lowest months. That is one of Ngorongoro Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against almost none in July.

What time of day is best to see a Steel-blue Whydah?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Steel-blue Whydah sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ngorongoro Conservation Area the best place to see a Steel-blue Whydah?

3rd of 9

Of the 9 parks where we can rate Steel-blue Whydah sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 20%) and Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Steel-blue Whydah live in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Same genus: Vidua

The closest relatives of the Steel-blue Whydah that you can see in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (genus Vidua, Indigobirds and Whydahs) are Pin-tailed Whydah (about 20%) and Straw-tailed Whydah (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Steel-blue Whydah sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Steel-blue Whydah is recorded against all the birds logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (289 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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