Viduidae

Viduidae is a family of small passerine birds native to Africa, comprising the indigobirds, whydahs and the cuckoo-finch, with two genera, Vidua holding 19 living species and Anomalospiza the single cuckoo-finch species, for 20 species in total, all restricted to Africa. They are finch-like birds usually with black or indigo predominating in their plumage, and whydahs are notable for the long or very long tails carried by breeding males. Every species in the family is an obligate brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other songbirds, though unlike cuckoos and honeyguides the young do not destroy the hosts own eggs or chicks; most indigobirds parasitize firefinches, paradise whydahs target pytilias, and the cuckoo-finch parasitizes cisticolid warblers. Males learn and imitate their host species song while in the nest, females tend to choose mates whose song matches that of their own host species, and the nestlings mimic the host species mouth markings.