The fan-tailed widowbird (Euplectes axillaris), also known as the red-shouldered widowbird, is named for its tail which is medium in length and broad - appearing to get wider towards the end. Widowbirds are named for the resemblance of their dark plumage to a widow's mourning clothes. The Fan-tailed Widowbird was first formally described by Andrew Smith, a Scottish surgeon, explorer, ethnologist and zoologist. The Fan-tailed Widowbird inhabits tall moist grassland and swamp edges in south and eastern Africa.
