Red-collared Widowbird vs Southern Red Bishop

Red-collared Widowbird

Euplectes ardens

Small19 gGrassland

Similar to other widowbirds, male red-collared widowbirds have both seasonal and sexual dimorphism. Males are about 25 cm (9.8 in) in length while females are only 13 centimeters. A similar trend is seen with weight, where males range from 20 to 26 g (0.71 to 0.92 oz) and females are only between 16 and 22 grams. During non-breeding seasons, the male plumage is brown, while in breeding season, October to April, they have black plumage with a long tail, approximately 22 cm, and crescent-shaped carotenoid based chest patch.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Edmundas Greimas · CC BY 4.0

Southern Red Bishop

Euplectes orix

Small23 gGrassland

The southern red bishop is 10–11 centimetres long and has a thick conical bill. Breeding males are brightly coloured with red (occasionally orange) and black plumage. The forehead, face and throat are black and the rest of the head is red. The upperparts are red apart from the brown wings and tail. The upper breast and under tail-coverts are red while the lower breast and belly are black. The non-breeding male and female have streaky brown plumage, paler below. Females are smaller than the males. It has various twittering calls and a nasal contact call. The male has a buzzing song.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mike Musgrave · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Red-collared Widowbird and Southern Red Bishop.