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A photo of a Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata), male
Village Indigobird, Male

Village Indigobird

Vidua chalybeata

The village indigobird (Vidua chalybeata), also known as the steelblue widowfinch or the Combassou finch, is a small songbird belonging to the family Viduidae. It is distinguishable from other indigobird species by bill and leg colours, the colour tinge of the male's breeding plumage, song, and to lesser extent, the nestling's plumage and mouth pattern. The bill colour can be red or white depending on the population, and there is some regional variation in the colour tone of the male's plumage. The village indigobird is 11–12 cm in length. The adult male is entirely greenish-black or bluish-black except for his orange-red legs and conical white bill. The female resembles a female house sparrow, with streaked brown upperparts, buff underparts, a whitish supercilium and a yellowish bill, although she also has red legs. Immature birds are like the female but plainer and without a supercilium. Many of the indigobirds are very similar in appearance, with the males difficult to separate in the field, and the young and females near impossible. Helpful pointers with the village indigobird are the association with its host species, the red-billed firefinch, and its presence near human habitation.
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Village Indigobirds on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ†
Kristin Wilkinson
Thursday 06 Apr 2023 - 11:04am
Kenya
A map showing the sighting location
🐞
Nix Asherson
Wednesday 05 Apr 2023 - 11:08am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
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James Asherson
Wednesday 05 Apr 2023 - 11:08am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ‰
Andrew Asherson
Wednesday 05 Apr 2023 - 11:08am
South Africa
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