The quailfinch indigobird 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.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Patchily distributed from The Gambia and Senegal east through Nigeria to western Cameroon, with strongholds along major river systems. It favors seasonally inundated grasslands, floodplains, and edges of wetlands where tall grasses and sedges dominate. Birds often remain close to the ground and use nearby cultivated fields and fallows. Outside peak flooding, it may also occupy adjacent savanna edges and lightly wooded riparian zones. Occurrence is often localized, tracking the distribution of its quailfinch host.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The quailfinch indigobird is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of the African quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis). Males mimic the host’s calls and songs to attract females and maintain territories. Breeding males are glossy blue-black, while females are brown and streaked for camouflage. It is typically found in isolated pockets along river floodplains in West Africa.
Temperament
generally unobtrusive; males territorial during breeding
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding flight
Social Behavior
Outside breeding, small loose groups may form while foraging on grass seeds. As a brood parasite, it does not build a nest; females lay eggs in quailfinch nests. Males display and sing from exposed perches near wetlands to attract females, often near host territories.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Male song closely mimics the African quailfinch, mixing rattling trills and high-pitched chips with rapid sequences. Song bouts are delivered persistently from prominent perches, especially at dawn and late afternoon.
Plumage
Breeding males are uniformly glossy blue-black; females and non-breeding birds are brown with heavy streaking and a paler underside.
Diet
Primarily grass seeds gleaned from the ground and seedheads in tall grasses and sedges. Supplements diet with small arthropods, especially during breeding. Will also exploit spilt grain around cultivation and tracks along floodplains.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on open, damp ground along river margins, seasonally flooded fields, and grassy levees. Often keeps to low cover, moving between patches of tall grass and bare ground.
