Photo: Florentin66 / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Village Indigobird
Vidua chalybeata
Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) is a member of the Viduidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 12.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Viduidae Indigobirds, Whydahs
- Genus Vidua
- Species chalybeata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Viduidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Village Indigobird is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Village Indigobird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) is a member of the Viduidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c, se.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.5 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Village Indigobird?
The Village Indigobird is a very small bird that weighs around 12.5 g.
Where does the Village Indigobird live?
The Village Indigobird is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Village Indigobird belong to?
The Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) belongs to the Viduidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Village Indigobird eat?
The Village Indigobird is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Village Indigobird migrate?
The Village Indigobird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Village Indigobird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Village Indigobird make?
1 real field recording of the Village Indigobird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Village Indigobird's range?
The Village Indigobird has a mapped global range of about 7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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