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Family Viduidae

The indigobirds and whydahs are finch-like birds native to Africa. The breeding male whydahs have very long tails. All are obligate brood parasites they lay their eggs in the nests of estrildid finch species. Most indigobirds use firefinches as hosts, whereas the paradise whydahs chose pytilias. The indigobirds and whydahs do not destroy the host's eggs. Typically, they lay 2–4 eggs in with those already present. The eggs of both the host and the victim are white, although the indigobird's are slightly larger.

Many of the indigobirds are very similar in appearance, with the males difficult to separate in the field, and the young and females near impossible. The best guide is often the estrildid finch with which they are associating, since each indigobird parasitises a different host species. Indigobirds and whydahs imitate their host's song, which the males learn in the nest.


Genus Anomalospiza - 1 species

Weaver,_Parasitic  also  Cuckoo-finch  Anomalospiza imberbis  Found: Afica
The male Cuckoo-finch has olive-green upperparts with black streaks; yellow head, underparts; black bill. Female has buff plumage; heavy black streaking on upperparts; light streaks on flanks; black upper mandible; pale lower mandible.
Image by: 1) B_Attard - South Africa  2) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 3) Alan Manson
1) Female 2, 3) Male



Genus Viduidae

Indigobird,_Barka  Vidua larvaticola  Found: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan.
Image by: 1, 2) Nigel Voaden - Cameroon `


Indigobird,_Cameroon  Vidua camerunensis  Found: west-central Africa
The host species of the Cameroon Indigobird: African Firefinch, Black-bellied Firefinch, Brown Twinspot, Dubowski Twinspot.
Image by: 1)John_Caddick - Sierra Leone


Indigobird,_Green also Zambezi Indgobird  Vidua codringtoni  Found:Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Image by: 1) Niall_Perrins


Indigobird,_Jambandu  Vidua raricola  Found: central Africa
The host species of the Jambandu Indigobird: Zebra Waxwing
Image by: 1)John_Caddick


Indigobird,_Jos_Plateau  Vidua maryae  Found: Nigeria
The host species of the Jos Plateaqu Indigobird: Rock Firefinch
Image by: 1) gorgeousgeorge76


Indigobird,_Purple  Vidua purpurascens  Found: DR Congo and Kenya south to South America
The host species of the Purple Indigobird: Jamesons Firefinch
Image by: 1) Jerry_Oldenettel - Botswana  2) Alan_Manson - South Africa


Indigobird,_Quailfinch  Vidua nigeriae  Found:The Gambia, Nigeria and Cameroon
The male quailfinch Indigo bird has greenish-black plumage. Female has streaked brown upperparts; whitish supercilium; buff underparts. The host species of the Quailfinch Indigobird: Black-faced Quailfinch.
Image by: 1, 2) Seth_Of_Rabi - Nigeria


Indigobird,_Variable also   Dusky Indigobird   Vidua funerea  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) ruslou_koorts - South Africa  2)  Alan_Manson - South Africa


Indigobird, Village  Vidua chalybeata  Found: Africa
The male Village Indigo is bluish-black; whitish bill; orange-red legs. Female has streaked brown upperparts; buff underparts; whitish supercilium; yellowish bill. Helpful pointers with the Village Indigobird identification is association with its host species, the Red-billed Firefinch, and its presence near human habitation.
Image by: 1) Atamari - Gambia  2) Hectonichus   3)  Derek_Keats - South Africa
1) Female  2, 3) Male


Indigobird,_Wilson's also Pale-winged Indigobird  Vidua wilsoni  Found: Africa
The host species of the Wilson's Indigobird: Bar-breasted Firefinch
Image by: 1) Rich_Hoyer  2) Bruno_Portier


Whyday,_Broad-tailed_Paradise-  Vidua obtusa  Found: DR Congo and Kenya south to South Africa
The breeding male Broad-tailed Paradise-Whyday has black upperparts; chestnut-orange nape patch; buffy underparts; very long tail.  Nonbreeding male had female has gray-brown upperparts with streaks; pale supercilium; buffy underparts.
Image by: 1) Nik Borrow  2)Hiyashi_Haka
1) Non-breeding male 2) Breeding male


Whydah, Eastern Paradise also Long-tailed Paradise Whydah  Vidua paradisaea  Found: eastern Africa
The breeding male Eastern Paradise Whydah has black back, head, bill; yellowish nape; rusty-brown breast; buffy-white belly; black tail with very long feathers. The female or nonbreeding male has white median crown stripe, supercilium; off white belly.
Image by: 1, 2, 6) Dick Daniels - National Aviary   3, 5, 7) Dick - San Diego Zoo  4)  Doug Janson 8) Sandy Cole - National Aviary 
1 - 4) Female  5 - 8) Male



Whyday,_Exclamatory_Paradise-  Vidua interjecta  Found: central Africa
Image by: 1) Seth_Of_Rab  2) Chris_Eason


Whydah, Pintail  Vidua macroura  Found: Africa, Puerto Rico (introduced)
The breeding male Pintail Whydah has black hood, back, tail; dark brown wings with white patches; white face, underparts; red bill. Female and nonbreeding male has streaked brown upperparts; whitish underparts with buff flanks; buff and black face pattern; red bill.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Puerto Rico (ID by Chuck Schussman  2, 3) Dick - San Diego Zoo    6) Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya   4) Alan Manson  5) New Jersey Birds 
1,2, 3) Female or nonbreeding male  4, 5, 6) Breeding male



Whyday,_Sahel_Paradise-  Vidua orientalis  Found: west Africa
The breeding male Sahel Paradise-Whyday has black back, wings, tail; black head with chestnut nape; rufous breast. Nonbreeding male and female similar: tawny upperparts; with narrow mantle streaking; whitish supercilium. Host species: Green-winged Pytilia.
Image by: 1) P_Choo  2) Thom_Haslam - The Gambia


Whydah,_Shaft-tailed Vidua regia Found: Angola and Zambia and south to South Africa
The breeding male Shaft-tailed Whyday has black upperparts, crown; golden breast; narrow tail, wider at the end. Nonbreeding male and female has olive-brown plumage.
Image by: 1) Arthur_Chapman  2) Jerry Oldenettel - Namibia 3) Tude e João - South Africa


Whyday,_Steel-blue  Vidua hypocherina  Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Image by: 1) Abdi_jama - Solmalia  2) Demetrius_John_Kessy - Tanzania  3) Nik_Borrow


Whydah, Straw-tailed  Vidua fischeri  Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya  3) Peter Steward - Kenya  4) Kris Maes - Ethiopia
1) Female  2) Juvenile male  3, 4) Male


Whyday,_Togo_Paradise-  Vidua togoensis  Found: west Africa
Image by: 1) Graham_Ekins - Ghana  2) Gavin_Edmondstone





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