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Ethiopia: Bishop? two weeks ago (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jstanleyg
- Start date
BirdingRob
Brit abroad
I am fairly new to sub-Saharan Africa and have only seen a few non-breeding bishops. However I think you are right that these birds are in the bishop family but they don't look like the non-breeding northern bishop I have seen.
I wonder if they are a closely related widowbird bird. I think I can see a chestnut shoulder on two of the birds and the mantle looks dark almost black. Do you get fan-tailed widowbird in Ethiopia? Apologies if I am off beam. I am using your post to help me in the future! Rob
I wonder if they are a closely related widowbird bird. I think I can see a chestnut shoulder on two of the birds and the mantle looks dark almost black. Do you get fan-tailed widowbird in Ethiopia? Apologies if I am off beam. I am using your post to help me in the future! Rob
AlinoVegano
Well-known member
Hi guys,
Bishops and Widowbirds belong to the same genus, Euplectes, the difference given in English being quite artificial. Widowbirds are the species with longer tails in breeding (male) plumage, bishops having shorter tails.
First look like Fan-tailed Widowbird indeed, others can be Yellow Bishops or Yellow-mantled Widowbirds?
I'm always unsure with those confusing little guys
Bishops and Widowbirds belong to the same genus, Euplectes, the difference given in English being quite artificial. Widowbirds are the species with longer tails in breeding (male) plumage, bishops having shorter tails.
First look like Fan-tailed Widowbird indeed, others can be Yellow Bishops or Yellow-mantled Widowbirds?
I'm always unsure with those confusing little guys
BirdingRob
Brit abroad
Alino, I know bishops and widowbirds are the same genus! You can be closely related within the same genus.
So the first one is a fan-tailed widowbird. I would expect a little less streaking on the flanks of yellow bishops I have seen so I can't personally easily make the second bird into a yellow bishop. I have no experience with yellow-mantled widowbird but the images look good for either of the second and third birds. My only reservation is that there looks like a hint of orange-red plumage on the second bird.
So the first one is a fan-tailed widowbird. I would expect a little less streaking on the flanks of yellow bishops I have seen so I can't personally easily make the second bird into a yellow bishop. I have no experience with yellow-mantled widowbird but the images look good for either of the second and third birds. My only reservation is that there looks like a hint of orange-red plumage on the second bird.
AlinoVegano
Well-known member
It is true, but in that case, a bird called "bishop" is not necessarily more closely related genetically with another bishop than a widowbird.
http://jboyd.net/Taxo/List28.html#ploceidae
The Fan-Tailed W. must be in some transitional plumage; I agree that that hint of orange is a bit bizarre.
Tib78
Well-known member
Those are just the orange coverts showing off through the flanks and scapulars
Thanks for your input, everyone. Fan-tailed Widowbird is certainly common in Ethiopia, Rob, and I think you and the others are right that some of the shots are just that. I'm attaching another shot taken at the same time/location just for comparison. The thing I'm wondering about is how I can be sure that all of these shots are not Fan-tailed W. Are the rusty coverts showing through only found on Yellow-mantled W.'s?
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