Adaptations in primary wing moult of southern African Viduidae and their hosts (Estrildidae)

Abstract

Primary wing moult patterns in southern African brood-parasitic viduines were compared with those of their estrildid hosts. We searched for similarities in the timing and duration of moult within these closely related species potentially arising from their linked breeding biology and geographical distributions. Contrasting patterns were found between summer and winter rainfall regions, suggesting that climate dominates over phylogenetic effects on moult. Within the summer rainfall region different patterns of moult also emerged, and these generally supported the colonisation hypothesis of the host–brood parasite system. Moult estimates are provided for these taxa for which, until now, data have been mostly descriptive.