Northern Paradise-Whydah
Encyclopedia
The Sahel Paradise Whydah or Northern Paradise Whydah, Vidua orientalis, is a small songbird
. It is a resident breeding bird in west Africa
.
It has often been considered a subspecies of Eastern Paradise Whydah
, Vidua paradisea, since both birds parasitise
the Green-winged Pytilia
, Pytilia melba, a common species of estrildid finch
. However, the finch has two subspecies, nominate melba and citerior, which are sometimes treated as separate species. The ranges of these two taxa correspond well to those of V.paradisea and V. orientalis.
The Sahel Paradise Whydah does not destroy the host Green-winged Pytilia's egg, but its own eggs are added to those already present.
The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
. It is a resident breeding bird in west Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
It has often been considered a subspecies of Eastern Paradise Whydah
Eastern Paradise Whydah
The Long-tailed Paradise Whydah or Eastern Paradise Whydah, Vidua paradisaea, is a small brown sparrow-like bird of Eastern Africa, from east Sudan to south Angola...
, Vidua paradisea, since both birds parasitise
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
the Green-winged Pytilia
Green-winged Pytilia
The Green-winged Pytilia is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of .It is found in most of Africa south of the Sahara...
, Pytilia melba, a common species of estrildid finch
Estrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
. However, the finch has two subspecies, nominate melba and citerior, which are sometimes treated as separate species. The ranges of these two taxa correspond well to those of V.paradisea and V. orientalis.
The Sahel Paradise Whydah does not destroy the host Green-winged Pytilia's egg, but its own eggs are added to those already present.
The diet of this species consists of seeds and grain.