Village indigobird

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Village indigobird
Male of the red-billed race (V. c. amauropteryx) in Mapungubwe N. P.
Female in Mapungubwe N. P.

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Viduidae
Genus: Vidua
Species:
V. chalybeata
Binomial name
Vidua chalybeata
(
Müller
, 1776)

The village indigobird (Vidua chalybeata), also known as the steelblue widowfinch or (in U.S. aviculture) the Combassou finch, is a small

Viduidae. It is distinguishable from other indigobird species by bill and leg colours, the colour tinge of the male's breeding plumage, song, and to lesser extent, the nestling's plumage and mouth pattern.[2]
The bill colour can be red or white depending on the population, and there is some regional variation in the colour tone of the male's plumage.

Distribution and habitat

It is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the

indigobird
is found in many open habitats including open woodland, scrub and cultivation, but, as its name implies, it is most readily seen near villages.

Cycle of life

It is a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the nests of

gape
pattern of the fledglings of the host species.

Behaviour

The male village indigobird is territorial, and he has an elaborate courtship flight display. The song is given from a high perch, and consists of rapid sputtering and churring intermingled with mimicry of red-billed firefinch's song, especially the characteristic chick-pea-pea-pea.

The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.

Description

The village indigobird is 11–12 cm in length. The adult male is entirely greenish-black or bluish-black except for his orange-red legs and conical white bill. The female resembles a female house sparrow, with streaked brown upperparts, buff underparts, a whitish supercilium and a yellowish bill, although she also has red legs. Immature birds are like the female but plainer and without a supercilium.

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. Helpful pointers with the village indigobird are the association with its host species, the red-billed firefinch, and its presence near human habitation.

Races

There are six accepted races:[2]

  • V. c. subsp. chalybeata (Statius Müller, 1776) – West Africa: Senegambia to central Mali
Description: Green, greenish-blue, or green-hued male plumage and white bills
  • V. c. subsp. neumanni (Alexander, 1908) – Mali to South Sudan
  • V. c. subsp. ultramarina (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) – Ethiopia and Eritrea
  • V. c. subsp. centralis (Neunzig, 1928) – DRC, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania
  • V. c. subsp. okavangoensis Payne, 1973 – western Angola to northern Botswana
Description: Red and white-billed birds with blue-hued male plumage
  • V. c. subsp. amauropteryx (Sharpe, 1890) – coastal East Africa and southeastern Africa
Description: Red-billed birds with blue-hued male plumage

Gallery

  • male V. c. centralis, Kenya
    male V. c. centralis, Kenya
  • male V. c. okavangoensis, Botswana
    male V. c. okavangoensis, Botswana
  • male V. c. okavangoensis, Zimbabwe
    male V. c. okavangoensis, Zimbabwe
  • Blue plumage gloss in strong illumination
    Blue plumage gloss in strong illumination

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22719936A132133516.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Payne, R. (2016). "Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  • Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley,
    ISBN 1-873403-32-1

External links
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