Vidua raricola

Goldbreast Indigobird


Subspecies and distribution:

Monotypic - West Africa


Morphology: (Payne 1996)

Plumage - blue to green

Bill - white

Legs - pale purple

Wing - brown


Host:

Goldbreast (Amandava subflava)


Host song mimicry: (Payne 1973, 1996)

Mimic the “chit chit” and “chirp” contact call, “ink churr churr” social call, and “trip” flight call of the Goldbreast. The most distinctive mimicry is the juvenile begging vocalization, which forms a series of song-like chinking notes that rise and fall in pitch.

Google Earth map: (updated Aug 2009)

View interactive map HERE (requires plug-in)


red: geo-referenced ORNIS record

white: user-generated record

Fry, C. H. and Keith, S. (Eds). 2004. The Birds of Africa. Vol VII. Christopher Helm, London.

www.indigobirds.com

Hosted by: Boston University

Email: indigos@bu.edu

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