Northern Red Bishop

Euplectes franciscanus (Isert, 1789)

Northern Red Bishop, Euplectes franciscanus, is a passerine in the Ploceidae family that breeds across western, central and eastern Africa. It was described by Isert in 1789. The bird is best known for the breeding male’s vivid red-orange and black plumage, with the male also showing a continuous red chin. It is found in tall grassland and in cultivated places close to water and marshes, and it occurs from low ground up to 1000 metres. Females and non-breeding males are brown and white, while the breeding male’s plumage is the clearest field mark.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Ploceidae — Weavers, Widowbirds

Breeding range

Africa: w, c, e