Euplectes

Euplectes is a genus of passerine bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae, that 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.[1]

Euplectes
Euplectes afer ladoensis (above)

E. macrourus macrocercus (below)

Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae
Genus: Euplectes
Swainson, 1829
Type species
Loxia orix
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text

The genus Euplectes was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1829 with the southern red bishop as the type species.[2][3] The name combines the Ancient Greek eu meaning "fine" or "good" with the Neo-Latin plectes meaning "weaver".[4] When choosing their mates, females within this genus will often choose males with longer tail lengths, even in species with comparatively shorter tail lengths.[5]

Species

The genus contains 18 species.[6]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Euplectes aferYellow-crowned bishopAngola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Euplectes diadematusFire-fronted bishopKenya, Somalia, and Tanzania
Euplectes aureusGolden-backed bishopwestern Angola and São Tomé Island
Euplectes gierowiiBlack bishopAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
Euplectes nigroventrisZanzibar red bishopKenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania
Euplectes hordeaceusBlack-winged red bishopSenegal to Sudan and south to Angola, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique
Euplectes orixSouthern red bishop or red bishop,north to Angola, southern and eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo,northern Zambia southern Uganda north-east Nigeria and south-west Kenya
Euplectes franciscanusNorthern red bishop or orange bishop,Africa south of the Sahara Desert and north of the Equator
Euplectes capensisYellow bishopAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Euplectes axillarisFan-tailed widowbirdAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Euplectes macrouraYellow-mantled widowbirdAngola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Euplectes hartlaubiMarsh widowbirdAngola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Euplectes psammacromiusMontane widowbirdnortheast Zambia, northern Malawi and the highlands of southwestern Tanzania
Euplectes albonotatusWhite-winged widowbirdAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Euplectes ardensRed-collared widowbirdGuinea, inland Sierra Leone, north Liberia, north Ivory Coast, southwest Niger, central and southeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, central and northeast Angola, Uganda, West Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, northwest and south Mozambique, Eswatini and east South Africa
Euplectes laticaudaRed-cowled widowbirdSudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and north Tanzania
Euplectes progneLong-tailed widowbirdAngola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, and Zambia
Euplectes jacksoniJackson's widowbirdKenya and Tanzania

Aviculture

The yellow-crowned bishop and northern red bishop are popular in aviculture.

References
  1. Craig, Adrian J. F. K. (1980). "Behaviour and evolution in the genus Euplectes". Journal of Ornithology. 121 (2): 144–161. doi:10.1007/BF01642928. S2CID 34686786.
  2. Swainson, William John (1829). Zoological illustrations, or, Original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting animals. 2nd series. Vol. 1. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and W. Wood. Plate 37 text.
  3. Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 64.
  4. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. Pryke, Sarah; Andersson, Staffan (August 8, 2008). "Female preferences for long tails constrained by species recognition in short-tailed red bishops". Behavioral Ecology. 19 (6): 1116–1121. doi:10.1093/beheco/arn100 – via Oxford Academic.
  6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2023). "Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers". IOC World Bird List Version 13.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 7 February 2023.


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