Euplectes
Encyclopedia
Euplectes is a genus
of passerine
bird
in the weaver family, Ploceidae. It contains the bishops and widowbirds. They are all native to Africa
south of the Sahara
. It is believed that all birds in the genus are probably polygynous
.
It contains the following species in taxonomic order:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the weaver family, Ploceidae. It contains the bishops and widowbirds. They are all native to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
south of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is believed that all birds in the genus are probably polygynous
Polygyny
Polygyny is a form of marriage in which a man has two or more wives at the same time. In countries where the practice is illegal, the man is referred to as a bigamist or a polygamist...
.
It contains the following species in taxonomic order:
- Yellow-crowned BishopYellow-crowned BishopThe Yellow-crowned Bishop is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to Africa south of the Sahara. It is highly sexually dimorphic in its breeding season, during which the male adopts a distinctive yellow and black plumage, contrasting with the female's predominantly brown...
, Euplectes afer - Fire-fronted BishopFire-fronted BishopThe Fire-fronted Bishop is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Euplectes diadematus - Black BishopBlack BishopThe Black Bishop is a species of passerine bird in the Ploceidae family native to Africa south of the Sahara. Three subspecies are recognised.- Taxonomy :...
, Euplectes gierowii - Black-winged Red BishopBlack-winged Red BishopThe Black-winged Red Bishop is a resident breeding bird species in tropical Africa from Senegal to Sudan and south to Angola and Tanzania....
, Euplectes hordeaceus - Northern Red BishopNorthern Red BishopThe Northern Red Bishop or Orange Bishop is a resident breeding bird species in Africa south of the Sahara Desert and north of the Equator. It has been introduced to Puerto Rico, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the West Indies. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Southern Red Bishop of...
or Orange Bishop, Euplectes franciscanus - Southern Red BishopSouthern Red BishopThe Southern Red Bishop or Red Bishop is a small passerine bird belonging to the bishop and widowbird genus Euplectes in the weaver family Ploceidae. It is common in wetlands and grassland in Africa south of the Equator. North of the Equator, it is replaced by the Northern Red Bishop or Orange...
or Red Bishop, Euplectes orix - Zanzibar Red Bishop, Euplectes nigroventris
- Golden-backed BishopGolden-backed BishopThe Golden-backed Bishop is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Euplectes aureus - Yellow BishopYellow BishopThe Yellow Bishop or Yellow-rumped Widow is a resident breeding bird species in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.This common weaver...
, Euplectes capensis - Fan-tailed WidowbirdFan-tailed WidowbirdThe Fan-tailed Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda,...
, Euplectes axillaris - Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Euplectes macrourus
- White-winged WidowbirdWhite-winged WidowbirdThe White-winged Widowbird is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to Africa south of the Sahara. It is highly sexually dimorphic in its breeding season, during which the male's yellow plumage turns dark and he gains more white feathers, contrasting with the female's...
, Euplectes albonotatus - Red-collared WidowbirdRed-collared WidowbirdThe Red-collared Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
, Euplectes ardens - Marsh WidowbirdMarsh WidowbirdThe Marsh Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
, Euplectes hartlaubi - Montane Widowbird, Euplectes psammacromius
- Long-tailed WidowbirdLong-tailed WidowbirdThe Long-tailed Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia.-References:...
, Euplectes progne - Jackson's WidowbirdJackson's WidowbirdThe Jackson's Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and arable land.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Euplectes jacksoni