Southern Red Bishop

Euplectes orix (Linnaeus, 1758)

Ploceidae — Weavers, Widowbirds

Southern Red Bishop, Euplectes orix, is a passerine of the weaver family found in southern and eastern Africa, from south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and south-west Kenya through Mozambique, Angola, western Zambia, northern Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It is associated with wetlands and grassland, especially near water in the breeding season. The species is a small bird with a thick conical bill. Breeding males are strikingly red and black, while females and non-breeding males are streaky brown and paler underneath.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae — Weavers, Widowbirds
Breeding range: Africa: s, e DR Congo and sw Kenya to Mozambique, Angola, w Zambia, n Botswana, Namibia and South Africa