Wilson's indigobird or the pale-winged indigobird, is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, and Togo.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occupies savanna and open woodland, bushy grasslands, scrub, and edges of gallery forests. It is commonly found in agricultural mosaics, fallows, and around villages where host finches are abundant. Birds often stay near watercourses and lightly wooded areas that provide song perches and feeding sites. The species tolerates disturbance and can be locally common in human-modified habitats.
Altitude Range
0–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Wilson's indigobird (pale-winged indigobird) is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of estrildid finches, principally the bar-breasted firefinch. Males mimic the calls and songs of their host species to attract females that were raised by the same hosts. The male’s glossy dark plumage with pale wing panels helps distinguish it from other indigobirds. It is widespread across West and Central Africa and adapts well to human-altered landscapes.
Temperament
territorial during breeding; otherwise discreet
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Males defend song posts and display near host habitats. The species is a brood parasite, with females laying eggs in host finch nests and leaving all parental care to the hosts. Pairs form around song mimicry matching the host species the individuals were raised by.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Males deliver rapid, high-pitched sequences that closely mimic the songs and calls of their host finches, interwoven with their own notes. Song is persistent from exposed perches and used to attract conspecific females imprinted on the same host.
Plumage
Breeding males are glossy blue-black with distinctly paler wing panels; females and non-breeding birds are brown and streaked with a finch-like, plain appearance.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small grass seeds and other plant matter gleaned on or near the ground. It supplements the diet with small insects and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season. Birds may forage alongside finch flocks in open areas and at seed-rich patches.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages in open grassy habitats, farm edges, paths, and lightly wooded savanna with scattered shrubs. Often near villages and fields where seed sources and host species are common.
