Most people are familiar with the nest parasitism – or brood parasitism – that is shown by our cuckoos, such as the Jacobin cuckoo and Diederik Cuckoos, where the birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species. These other species, the hosts, then feed and rear the young as if they were their own offspring. There are two other groups of birds in our area that are also brood-parasites, the family Viduidae (indigobirds, whydahs, and cuckoo-finch) and the family Indicatoridae (honeyguides). In this article we will focus on the Viduidae, a family that is well represented in the Hoedspruit area including three species each of indigobirds and whydahs.
The Viduidae comprises small, finch-like perching birds birds that are native to Africa. All species in this family are dimorphic, which means that there are significant differences between males and females. In the indigobirds, males have predominantly black or indigo colours in their plumage, while in whydahs breeding males have have long and sometimes ornate tails. In the cuckofinch, males are bright yellow with a black bill in the breeding season. Females of all species are brownish, do not have long tails, are much better camouflaged than the breeding males. Males lose their breeding plumage outside the breeding season, and become much more like females in appearance.
https://learnthebirds.com/viduidae/
维达鸟科（学名：Viduidae） 有1属19种。生活于热带草原和疏林中，喜结群活动。主食果实、种子和嫩芽，也吃昆虫和蠕虫。不筑巢，是巢寄生者，寄主相对稳定，主要是梅花雀科的鸟类，幼鸟由寄主喂养长大。因常发现于贝宁的维达镇，故得名。维达鸟虽为小鸟，但长尾所占鸟体的比例绝对是鸟中之最，这种鸟其貌不扬，尾羽却难得一见，雄鸟主要呈黑色，4根中尾羽极长，以尾羽冠压雀类之首，也是非洲著名的鸟种之一，主要分布于非洲热带
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1. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ
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1. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ
update 202501
A male bird with a very long tail, black-and-white plumage, and a striking red beak is hard to miss. While the local guide claimed it was common, we didn’t spot many during our first seven days. However, we were fortunate to see one performing a display for a female, which thrilled everyone. Capturing the moment from the car was quite challenging, but it was an unforgettable experience.
一只拥有非常长尾巴、黑白羽毛和鲜红喙的雄鸟，非常显眼。虽然当地向导说这种鸟很常见，但我们在前七天里并没有看到很多。不过，我们很幸运看到了一只正在为雌鸟表演。这让我们所有人都非常兴奋，而在车内拍摄这景象也是一个不小的挑战，但这是一次难忘的经历。
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