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24 December 2015 Parasitism of the Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula) by the Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura): Implications for Host-specific Adaptation by a Generalist Brood-parasite
Allison L. Lansverk, Jean-Bernard Dogmo, Justin G. Schuetz, Christopher N. Balakrishnan
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Abstract

In the African brood parasitic finches (Viduidae), complex nestling mouth markings have evolved to mimic those of their estrildid finch hosts, reducing the chances of detection or discrimination by host parents. Most Vidua species are highly host-specific whereas the Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura is less so, potentially limiting its evolutionary potential for mimicry. Here we document parasitism of a novel host, the Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula), by the Pin-tailed Whydah. Of the 28 active Black-crowned Waxbill nests that we located in central Cameroon, six were parasitized by Pin-tailed Whydahs. Unlike the remarkable similarity of Pin-tailed Whydah nestling mouth markings to those of a previously described host in southern and central Africa, the Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild), Pin-tailed Whydahs have mouth patterns that differ conspicuously from their Black-crowned Waxbill hosts in central Africa. Across its range, the Pin-tailed Whydah appears to be a generalist brood parasite of hosts in the genus Estrilda, but precise nestling mimicry is limited to particular species. The behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary mechanisms that allow different degrees of similarity to persist between Vidua and their hosts require further study.

© 2015 The Wilson Ornithological Society
Allison L. Lansverk, Jean-Bernard Dogmo, Justin G. Schuetz, and Christopher N. Balakrishnan "Parasitism of the Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula) by the Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura): Implications for Host-specific Adaptation by a Generalist Brood-parasite," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 127(4), 733-739, (24 December 2015). https://doi.org/10.1676/14-184
Received: 9 December 2014; Accepted: 1 April 2015; Published: 24 December 2015
KEYWORDS
brood parasitism
Cameroon
host shift
mimicry
speciation
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