Alternative name: Southern Red Bishop
- Euplectes orix
Identification
13-15 cm. The male is scarlet when breeding, with a black head and waistcoat; his wings and tail are brown. The bill is conical, thick and black. The non-breeding male is pale yellow-brown with a buff supercilium. Females are similar, but smaller. Young birds have wider pale fringes on their flight feathers.
Its call is a thin tsip.
Distribution
Most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Taxonomy
Euplectes orix has three subspecies:1
- E. o. nigrifrons
- E. o. orix
- E. o. sundevalli
Habitat
Open country, tall grassland, near water.
Behaviour
Its nest is spherical and woven, and is situated in tall grass. It lays 2 - 4 eggs. It feeds on seed, grain and some insects.
References
- Clements JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019