Cuckoo-finch (Anomalospiza imberbis)
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".
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 10 recordings for this species: 1 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- African BroadbillSmithornis capensisrecording
- African GoshawkAccipiter tachirorecording
- African Pied WagtailMotacilla aguimprecording
- Bar-throated ApalisApalis thoracicarecording
- Black CrakeZapornia flavirostrarecording
- Black-backed PuffbackDryoscopus cublarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.