Purple Indigobird
Vidua purpurascens
Nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Jameson’s Firefinch. Breeding males are glossy purplish-black, with a pale brownish panel in the wings, while females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is whitish and the legs very pale pink. Found in forest edge, cultivation, thick woodland, and scrub. Mimics the vocalizations of its host firefinches: a fast trill. Extremely similar to Variable Indigobird. In South Africa, separated by its pale pinkish legs. Elsewhere, breeding males probably slightly more glossy but only separated with certainty by hearing mimicked vocalizations of host species.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Vidua purpurascens
- Authority
- (Reichenow, 1883)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Viduidae
- Genus
- Vidua
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-collared Blackbird
Turdus albocinctus
This aptly-named species has a bright white collar, which is its most notable field mark. Like most other blackbirds, males are predominantly black while females are dark brown. Breeds in alpine and upper subalpine meadows, open forests, and gardens where it forages on the ground, often singly or in pairs. Sometimes descends to upper foothills in the winter.
Rand's Warbler
Randia pseudozosterops
Plain, warbler-like tetraka with a bold white eye-stripe. Madagascar endemic that is found in low and middle-elevation rainforest. Feeds in the mid-story and canopy, and sings from an exposed perch, often alongside a Stripe-throated Jery. Song is a loose, decelerating trill. Similar to Cryptic Warbler, but eye-stripe is bolder, and color of the upperparts is gray. Larger than jeries, with gray upperparts, and no streaks on the throat. Much paler than Wedge-tailed Tetraka, with a white eye-stripe rather than a gray ear patch.
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
Sitta nagaensis
Typical nuthatch; small bird with a wedge-shaped head, usually seen clambering around on trees. Gray above and white below, with a thin black line extending from the bill base to the shoulder. Deep rust red on the flanks and red-edged scaling under the tail serve to distinguish this otherwise plain species from similar nuthatches. Active and social, often following mixed flocks. Inhabits both broadleaf and coniferous forests in foothill and submontane areas. Listen for its song, a loud ringing series of trills. Calls include nasal caws, a bright-sounding “pewpewpew,” and high-pitched chittering.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.