The northern red bishop or orange bishop (Euplectes franciscanus ) is a small passerine bird in the family Ploceidae. It is part of the largest genus in the family with over 60 different species. Its sister species is the Southern red bishop (Euplectes orix ). This species is most recognizable by the bright reddish orange with contrasting black plumage displayed by the breeding male. It is most common throughout the northern African continent but has also been introduced to areas in the western hemisphere.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Polygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
Flocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThis short-tailed bishop is small in size, about 11 cm and weighing about 12-22 grams. The striking red-orange feathers are produced by pigments derived from compounds in their diet. Specifically, the yellow, orange, and red pigments originate from compounds called carotenoids, which are very diet-dependent. Lutein and two red fractions (R1 and R2) derived from lutein are the two dominating carotenoids that contribute to the bird's pigment in the wild. Northern red bishops held in captivity lack the R2 red fraction carotenoid from their diet. This plumage is present on the backside of the male and wraps around the chin to back of the head, throat, and breast, with a dark black crown, forehead, flank, and belly. The tail and upper wings are brown, with pale legs and a black bill.
This plumage, the identifier of the northern red bishops, is only present in the breeding males. Females and non-breeding males have a dilute brown and white feather pattern, similar to that of a song sparrow. Males entering breeding season transition into this bright and brilliant plumage, and eventually they molt these display feathers at the end of the breeding season to acquire the plumage close to that of the females.
The northern red bishop has a wide distribution across northern Africa. This species inhabits northern Liberia, southern Mauritania, Senegambia, Guinea, north Sierra Leone, east Eritrea, Ethiopia, northwest and southern Somalia, northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Uganda, Burkina Faso, northern Ivory Coast, South Chad, North Cameroon, Sudan, and Kenya. Northern red bishops generally reside in tall grasslands or cultivated areas near water and marshes. This species has been observed in lowlands to elevations as high as 1000 meters.
This species was introduced to Puerto Rico in the 1960s, and has since been reported throughout the West Indies. The northern red bishop has been reported in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Jamaica, and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, along with recorded occurrences in Cuba. In recent decades, the northern red bishop were introduced to areas of the United States, including southern California, Texas, and Hawaii. In 1997, the estimated population size of northern red bishops in Los Angeles and Orange counties reached 400. A small population also resides in Harris County, TX.
This species tends to feed mostly on grass seeds, but they are also known to eat insects. Notable grasses the northern red bishop feeds on include Echinochloa, Cortaderia, and Paspalum dilatatum. Millet seeds are said to be favored. They have also been known to feed on aquatic vegetation (Polygonum ) and cocklebur(Xanthium ). In the late winter and springtime, these birds have been seen visiting seed feeders. They usually forage on the ground or within grass and weed stems, and they can hunt insects both in flight and on the ground.
Northern red bishops tend to form large flocks in the nonbreeding season and may be seen with other canaries or waxbills.
This species is sexually dimorphic and polygynous, with the males being particularly larger than the females. The genus Euplectes is notorious for sexually selected characteristics, including elaborate displays and elongated tail feathers. The bright orange-to-yellow plumage with a contrasting dark black pigment is for attracting mates. The song pattern of the male during the breeding season is quite monotonous with minimal change from season-to-season, and males may not even sing at all in the nonbreeding season. Experiments into the neural relationship between song and plumage color revealed the hyperstriatum ventralis (HVc) and the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) are neural structures involved in song control. Possibly due to higher androgen levels at the time, both the HVc and RA significantly increase in volume during the breeding season. Additionally, the sizes of these structures are significantly different between the sexes, with a male having a RA more than twenty times larger than the female. The ratio of sexual dimorphism in these structures are higher than that in other songbirds.
This species is polygynous, and males will often mate with up to six females, Males use their plumage for display-flight to attract females, while puffing their body plumage out. Once a female lands, courtship follows, resulting in males building globular nests for their mate. The females in turn line the nest for her future chicks. The most striking males that build the best nests and have a higher quality territory (higher food resources) tend to have higher reproductive success, meaning there is strong sexual selection on the males to have the most vibrant plumage and to build nests in high-quality territory. Females therefore provide all of the parental care for their offspring, including incubating and feeding. Males neither care nor forage for their offspring.
Nests are generally made from multiple grasses and reeds placed within the marshy vegetation. In Africa, average clutch sizes in Africa are unknown, but the related southern red bishop averages clutch sizes in South Africa between 2 and 3. The nestling period can last about 14-16 days. Breeding seasons can range from starting as early as May to ending as late as November and last between 2 and 6 months, depending on the beginning and end of the rainy season (typically November-March).
Additionally, clutch sizes of northern red bishops in California average between 2–3. Breeding season in this area ranges from around the peak high temperatures in August to November once temperatures begin to cool.
Little is known about this species’ predators. Its closest relative, the southern red bishop, builds nests within reed beds near water, providing coverage from possible nearby predators.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the northern red bishop is vastly widespread across the globe, stable, and of least concern of endangerment. There is no current quantified population size of this species.
