Differentiating the Red Eye-striped Waxbills by Ian Hinze

Fascinating Article: Hosts of the Pintailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) in southern Africa by Ben M. Mines 

This article discusses how Pintailed Whydah finches will use waxbills as "hosts" for brooding. This is significant because it has: "promoted close co- evolutionary relationships between the parasites and their hosts. The parasite nestlings are raised alongside the host young and mimic the appearance of the foster nestlings, including their complex mouth markings. Adult males mimic the songs of their specific host species, and female viduines, having also learnt the same song when raised by the foster species, seek out males singing the same host song (Friedmann 1960; Nicolai 1964; Payne 1973a,b, 1997a,b)."