Euplectes

Euplectes is a genus of passerine bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae. It contains the bishops and widowbirds. They are all native to Africa south of the Sahara. It is believed that all birds in the genus are probably polygynous.[1]

Euplectes
Euplectes afer subsp. ladoensis

E. macrourus subsp. macrocercus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae
Genus: Euplectes
Swainson, 1829
Type species
Euplectes macrourus
Species

About 17, see text

The genus Euplectes was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1829 with the southern red bishop as the type species.[2] The name combines the Ancient Greek eu "fine" or "good" and the New Latin plectes "weaver".[3]

Species

The genus contains 17 species.[4]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Euplectes aferYellow-crowned bishopAngola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Euplectes diadematusFire-fronted bishopKenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.
Euplectes gierowiiBlack bishopAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
Euplectes nigroventrisZanzibar red bishopKenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Euplectes hordeaceusBlack-winged red bishopSenegal to Sudan and south to Angola, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Euplectes orixSouthern red bishop or red bishop,north to Angola, southern and eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo,northern Zambia southern Uganda north-east Nigeria and south-west Kenya
Euplectes franciscanusNorthern red bishop or orange bishop,Africa south of the Sahara Desert and north of the Equator
Euplectes aureusGolden-backed bishopwestern Angola and São Tomé Island.
Euplectes capensisYellow bishopAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Euplectes axillarisFan-tailed widowbirdAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Euplectes macrouraYellow-mantled widowbirdAngola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Euplectes hartlaubiMarsh widowbirdAngola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Euplectes psammacromiusMontane widowbirdnortheast Zambia, northern Malawi and the highlands of southwestern Tanzania
Euplectes albonotatusWhite-winged widowbirdAngola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Euplectes ardensRed-collared widowbirdSouth Mali, North Guinea, inland Sierra Leone. North Liberia, North Ivory Coast, Southwest Niger, Central and Southeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central and Northeast Angola, Uganda, West Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Northwest and South Mozambique, Swaziland, and East South Africa
Euplectes progneLong-tailed widowbirdAngola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia
Euplectes jacksoniJackson's widowbirdKenya and Tanzania.

Aviculture

The yellow-crowned bishop and northern red bishop are popular in aviculture.

References
  1. Craig, Adrian J. F. K. (1980). "Behaviour and evolution in the genus Euplectes". Journal of Ornithology. 121 (2): 144–161. doi:10.1007/BF01642928.
  2. Swainson, William John (1829). Zoological illustrations, or, Original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting animals. 2nd series. Volume 1. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and W. Wood. Plate 37 text.
  3. Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 May 2018.


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