Interspecific brood parasitism evolved twice independently in the order Passeriformes, in the cowbirds (genus Molothrus) and in the family Viduidae. Instead of making nests of their own, and feeding their young, brood parasites deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds.
The vampire ground finch is a parasite, but is not brood parasitic.
Species + Family Viduidae Common name Scientific name Range Host species Cuckoo-finch Anomalospiza imberbis(Cabanis, 1868) Cisticolidae, most commonly Prinia subflava Village indigobird Vidua chalybeata(Müller, 1776) Lagonosticta senegala, Lagonosticta nitidula Jambandu indigobird Vidua raricolaPayne, 1982 Amandava subflava (primary host), possibly Lagonosticta rara Barka indigobird Vidua larvaticolaPayne, 1982 Lagonosticta larvata (primary host), Lagonosticta virata Jos Plateau indigobird Vidua maryaePayne, 1982 Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis Quailfinch indigobird Vidua nigeriae(Alexander, 1908) Ortygospiza atricollis Dusky indigobird Vidua funerea(de Tarragon, L, 1847) Lagonosticta rubricata Zambezi indigobird Vidua codringtoni(Neave, 1907) Hypargos niveoguttatus (primary host), Hypargos margaritatus Purple indigobird Vidua purpurascens(Reichenow, 1883) Lagonosticta rhodopareia (primary host), possibly Lagonosticta rubricata Wilson's indigobird Vidua wilsoni(Hartert, 1901) Lagonosticta rufopicta (for V. w. wilsoni), Lagonosticta nitidula (for V. w. incognita) Cameroon indigobird Vidua camerunensis(Grote, 1922) Lagonosticta rara (primary host), Lagonosticta rubricata, Clytospiza monteiri and Euschistospiza dybowskii Steel-blue whydah Vidua hypocherinaVerreaux & Verreaux, 1856 Estrilda erythronotos, Estrilda charmosyna Straw-tailed whydah Vidua fischeri(Reichenow, 1882) Unknown, presumed to be Granatina ianthinogaster Shaft-tailed whydah Vidua regia(Linnaeus, 1766) Granatina granatina (primary host), Sporopipes squamifrons, Prinia flavicans Pin-tailed whydah Vidua macroura(Pallas, 1764) Around 17 species in Estrildidae, Cisticolidae, Fringillidae and Emberizidae Togo paradise whydah Vidua togoensis(Grote, 1923) Presumed to be Pytilia hypogrammica Exclamatory paradise whydah Vidua interjecta(Grote, 1922) Pytilia phoenicoptera (primary host), Pytilia lineata, possibly Pytilia hypogrammica Long-tailed paradise whydah Vidua paradisaea Pytilia melba Sahel paradise whydah Vidua orientalis Pytilia melba citerior (for V. o. aucupum) Broad-tailed paradise whydah Vidua obtusa Pytilia afra
+ Family Icteridae Common name Scientific name Range Host species Shiny cowbird Molothrus bonariensis(Gmelin, JF, 1789) At least 102 species Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater(Boddaert, 1783) At least 174 species Screaming cowbird Molothrus rufoaxillarisCassin, 1866 Most commonly Agelaioides badius, occasionally four other species Giant cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus(Gmelin, JF, 1788) Corvidae and Icteridae, at least 12 species Bronzed cowbird Molothrus aeneus(Wagler, 1829) At least 48 species
Notes
References
Works cited