Yellow-crowned Bishop

Overview

The yellow-crowned bishop (Euplectes afer) is a small passerine bird in the weaver family native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is notable for being highly sexually dimorphic, with males adopting striking golden and black breeding plumage. Four subspecies are recognised across its wide range.

Identification

• Size and shape: A small bird measuring 95 to 105 mm in length, featuring a short, conical bill.
• Male breeding plumage: Distinguishing golden yellow crown, forehead, hindcrown, shoulders, rump, and back, contrasted with a black lower face, throat, breast, belly, and a black collar on the back of the neck; wings and tail are brown.
• Female and non-breeding male: Predominantly pale brown upperparts with darker streaking and paler eyebrows; off-white underparts with fine dark streaks on the breast and flanks; non-breeding males share this appearance.
• Call: A high-pitched, rasping, buzzing 'swizzling' sound, described as somewhat insect-like, such as 'zzzzzz, zzit, zzit, zzzz'.

Habitat

Native to numerous African countries south of the Sahara, the species prefers habitats such as grasslands, vleis, and pans, as well as weedy vegetation along wetlands and cultivated fields like wheat and sorghum. It is gregarious and nomadic, wandering to breeding areas in response to rainfall. The species has also been introduced to several locations outside Africa, including Jamaica, Japan, and parts of Europe.

Diet

The yellow-crowned bishop feeds on insects, grain, and seeds. It is a gregarious species that lives in flocks, which may include other weavers and sparrows during the non-breeding season.

Did you know?

Males are polygynous and build two or more oval nests with a top opening, attempting to attract a female to each one by flaring their yellow feathers and performing display flights. Nests are typically constructed among standing stems of grasses or sedges, often using bent stems of live grass to help conceal them.