Yellow-crowned Bishop
Euplectes afer
The Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) is a uncommon weaver found in 49 countries, weighing about 14 g. The yellow-crowned bishop is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to Africa south of the Sahara.
About the Yellow-crowned Bishop
The 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 coloration. Four subspecies are recognised.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The yellow-crowned bishop is 95 to 105 mm (3.7–4.1 in) in length and 15 g (0.53 oz) in weight. During the breeding season it is sexually dimorphic — that is, the observable characteristics of the males become more apparent. During the breeding season, the male has distinctive golden yellow and black plumage. The bill of both sexes is short and conical. The color of the male's bill is black during breeding season; by contrast, during non-breeding season, the male's bill is horn in color, as is the female's. The legs and feet are pinkish brown.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany.
When to see it
The Yellow-crowned Bishop can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yellow-crowned Bishop?
- The yellow-crowned bishop is 95 to 105 mm (3.7–4.1 in) in length and 15 g (0.53 oz) in weight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yellow-crowned Bishop?
- The Yellow-crowned Bishop is a tiny sized bird weighing about 14 g.
- Where can you see a Yellow-crowned Bishop?
- The Yellow-crowned Bishop occurs in 49 countries, including South Africa, Portugal, Spain, Kenya and Puerto Rico.
- What birds look similar to a Yellow-crowned Bishop?
- The Yellow-crowned Bishop is most easily confused with the White-winged Widowbird, the Red-collared Widowbird and the Fan-tailed Widowbird.
- Is the Yellow-crowned Bishop endangered?
- The Yellow-crowned Bishop is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yellow-crowned Bishop for real
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