Contents 



Page 



Preface vii 



Evolution of Brood Parasitism in Weaverbirds 3 



Phylogenetic Background 3 



Ethological Background 13 



Adaptive Features 22 



Antiquity 32 



Contributive Factors 34 



The Species of Parasitic Weaverbirds 39 



Cuckoo Finch: Anomalospiza imberbis 39 



Short-tailed widow birds: Subgenus Hypochera 55 



Brown- Winged Glossy Combassou: Vidua amauropteryx .... 68 



Brown- Winged Dusky Combassou: Vidua funerea 75 



Black- Winged Combassou: Vidua chalybeata 81 



Long-Tailed Widow Birds: Subgenus Vidua 89 



Blue Widow Bird: Vidua hypocherina 90 



Pin-Tailed Widow Bird: Vidua macroura 93 



Straw-Tailed Widow Bird: Vidua fischeri 123 



Shaft-Tailed Widow Bird: Vidua regia 127 



Paradise Widow Bird: Genus Steganura 136 



Paradise Widow Bird: Steganura paradisaea 139 



References 161 



Index 187 



