Purple Indigobird (Vidua purpurascens)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple Indigobird

Vidua purpurascens (Reichenow, 1883)

13 gWeight

The purple indigobird (Vidua purpurascens) is a species of bird in the family Viduidae.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Purple Indigobird has been recorded at 97 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 12 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa40 records
  2. Kruger NP – Mahonie Loop/S99South Africa29 records
  3. Kruger NP – Punda Maria CampSouth Africa21 records
More places
  1. Kruger NP – Pafuri/S63 areaSouth Africa21 records
  2. Pilanesberg NPSouth Africa19 records
  3. Kruger NP – Skukuza-Nkuhlu Road/H4-1South Africa13 records
  4. Lochinvar NPZambia12 records
  5. Borakalalo NPSouth Africa12 records
  6. Liwonde National ParkMalawi11 records
  7. Walter Sisulu National Botanical GardenSouth Africa10 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaZambiaZimbabweMalawiKenyaNamibiaBotswanaTanzania

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The purple indigobird (Vidua purpurascens) is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is a brood parasite and parasitizes (lays its eggs in the nest of) Jameson's Firefinch (Lagonosticta rhodopareia). It is also known as the dusky indigobird, a name which can refer to Vidua funerea.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Purple Indigobird?

The Purple Indigobird weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Purple Indigobird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Kenya to Angola, Botswana and northeastern South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

When is the best time to see the Purple Indigobird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and February (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple Indigobird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple Indigobird as Least Concern.

What does the Purple Indigobird eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Purple Indigobird in?

It belongs to the family Indigobirds, Whydahs (Viduidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
13 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
67 mm
Tail
42 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
14 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Kenya to Angola, Botswana and northeastern South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Indigobirds, Whydahs Viduidae
Genus
Vidua

Other birds in the genus Vidua

Village IndigobirdVillage IndigobirdVidua chalybeataJambandu IndigobirdJambandu IndigobirdVidua raricolaBarka IndigobirdBarka IndigobirdVidua larvaticolaDusky IndigobirdDusky IndigobirdVidua funereaZambezi IndigobirdZambezi IndigobirdVidua codringtoniWilson's IndigobirdWilson's IndigobirdVidua wilsoniQuailfinch IndigobirdQuailfinch IndigobirdVidua nigeriaeJos Plateau IndigobirdJos Plateau IndigobirdVidua maryaeCameroon IndigobirdCameroon IndigobirdVidua camerunensisPin-tailed WhydahPin-tailed WhydahVidua macrouraSteel-blue WhydahSteel-blue WhydahVidua hypocherinaStraw-tailed WhydahStraw-tailed WhydahVidua fischeri
Purple Indigobird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Roelof van der Breggen. ↗

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