Changi 16Aug08

From Con

I think the Pin-tailed Whydah at Changi already has a mate. See my photos at this link.

I wasn't focusing on the female (and she wasn't in the same plane of focus), and we all thought it was a pipit, but I think on closer examination, it really is a female pin-tailed whydah. Besides, if you follow the sequence of photos, she was responding to his display by wiggling her wings. If she was a pipit, you would think she would ignore the display. Other evidence that they are a breeding couple, is the male is in breeding colors, which I think he would lose if he didn't have a mate?

But the problem is the Whydah are brood parasites, so I wonder if they can find a suitable host, perhaps not. They lay their eggs in rather specific bird species, and mimic the call of these species. See these articles below.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin-tailed_Whydah
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W9W-4GV2NNR-8&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fba71960e68a938afd9d77f4bcf62de1

Yamane has this to add

Regarding Whydah, I could check the records in Japan. Almost of the cases are ones that are getting out the cages. I introduce a website...

Now I send my photo that I took on last Monday 11Aug08 in Karuizawa. It's Spot-billed Duck. They bred there also in this season.