Cuckoo Finch
Anomalospiza imberbis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyViduidae (Indigobirds and Whydahs)
- GenusAnomalospiza (Cuckoo Finches)
- SpeciesAnomalospiza imberbis (Cuckoo Finch)
About the Cuckoo Finch
The cuckoo-finch (Anomalospiza imberbis), also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
The species was described in 1868 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis based on a specimen from East Africa, probably from the coast opposite Zanzibar. It was initially placed in the genus Crithagra but later moved to a genus of its own, Anomalospiza. The name of the genus means "anomalous finch" with spiza being a Greek word for finch. The specific name imberbis comes from Latin and means "beardless".
Its closest relatives are thought to be the indigobirds and whydahs of the genus Vidua. These birds are now usually considered to form a family, Viduidae. Previously they were treated as a subfamily, Viduinae, within either the estrildid finch family Estrildidae, or the weaver family Ploceidae.
The cuckoo-finch is a small finch-like bird, about 11–13 cm long. It has a short tail, large... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Cuckoo Finch in Serengeti National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Serengeti National Park
Pin-tailed Whydah
Vidua macroura
Steel-blue Whydah
Vidua hypocherina
Straw-tailed Whydah
Vidua fischeri
Village Indigobird
Vidua chalybeata
Long-tailed Paradise Whydah
Vidua paradisaea
Purple Indigobird
Vidua purpurascens
Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Grey-backed Fiscal
Lanius excubitoroides
Northern White-crowned Shrike
Eurocephalus ruppelli
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Hildebrandt's Starling
Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 8 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 9 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 10 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 11 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 12 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 13 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 15 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cuckoo Finch in Serengeti National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cuckoo Finch sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cuckoo Finch in Serengeti National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Cuckoo Finch in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.