From Opus

Genus: Vidua

[edit] Description

Indigobirds (or Widowfinches), Whydahs and Paradise Whydahs; from Africa; these birds are brood parasites and at least the Indigobirds are host-specific.

A recent paper describes that both male and female Indigobirds imprint on the host species as they are growing up; males thereafter mimic the host song and females chose both the male and their host family based on that song. The authors conclude that this has lead to speciation in sympatry driven by sexual selection with the female choosing the male based on host species song.

[edit] Taxonomy

Vidua is a genus in the family Viduidae.

[edit] References

1. Paper describing speciation in Indigobirds