Vidua codringtoni
The Zambezi Indigobird (Vidua codringtoni) is a striking passerine belonging to the family Viduidae, commonly known as whydahs and indigobirds. Males in breeding plumage are particularly resplendent, exhibiting an iridescent, glossy blue-black coloration that can appear purple or green depending on the light, contrasting with their pale bill and bright red legs. Females and non-breeding males are much more cryptically plumaged, appearing streaky brown above with buffish underparts and a pale ...
Found primarily in savanna woodlands, often favoring areas with riverine thickets, open acacia woodlands, and sometimes near human settlements and cultivated land. It typically occurs at lower to mid-elevations.
Their diet consists predominantly of small grass seeds, which they typically glean from the ground. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with small insects.
Zambezi Indigobirds are diurnal, actively foraging during the day and roosting communally or solitarily in dense vegetation at night. Males establish and defend territories during the breeding season, singing persistently from prominent perches to attract females and advertise their presence. Cou...
The Zambezi Indigobird has a relatively restricted geographic distribution confined to south-central Africa. Its primary range extends across parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and western Mozambique, generally correlating with the distribution of its host, the African Firefinch. In Zambia, it is found m...
Least Concern
- The Zambezi Indigobird is an obligate brood parasite, meaning it lays its eggs exclusively in the nests of other bird species and provides no parental care. - Its primary host is the African Firefinch (Lagonosticta rubricata), a remarkable example of species-specific parasitism. - Male Zambezi ...