The quailfinch indigobird (''Vidua nigeriae'') is a small
songbird. It is a resident breeding bird in
The Gambia,
Nigeria and
Cameroon. It occurs in isolated localities, especially on river flood plains.
It was formerly considered to be a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
variable indigobird
:''The name dusky indigobird can also refer to ''Vidua purpurascens''.''
The dusky indigobird, variable indigobird, or black widowfinch (''Vidua funerea'') is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Re ...
, ''Vidua funerea''.
It is a
brood parasite
Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own ...
which lays its eggs in the nest of the
African quailfinch, ''Ortygospiza atricollis'', a slightly unusual host since it is only a distant relative to the
firefinches parasitised by most
indigobirds. It does not destroy the host's egg, but its own eggs are added to those already present.
The adult male quailfinch indigobird has greenish-black plumage, and the female resembles a female
house sparrow
The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, a ...
, with streaked brown upperparts, buff underparts and a whitish 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. A helpful pointer is the association with the host species, the quailfinch.
The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.
References
R.B. Payne & L.L. Payne, Song mimicry and species status of the indigobirds ''Vidua'': ''Ibis'' 136 (1994): 291-304
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1924786
quailfinch indigobird
Birds of West Africa
quailfinch indigobird