Yellow bishop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow bishop |
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| Male at Aberdare Range, Kenya | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Euplectes
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| Species: |
capensis
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| Synonyms | |
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Loxia capensis Linnaeus, 1766 |
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The yellow bishop (Euplectes capensis) is a colorful bird found in many parts of Africa. It is also known as the Cape bishop, Cape widow, or yellow-rumped widow. These birds live and breed in countries like Angola, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
You can find the yellow bishop in grassy areas and valleys. They live from sea level up to high mountains, like the Ethiopian highlands.
Contents
About the Yellow Bishop's Name
The yellow bishop got its scientific name, Loxia capensis, from a Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus in 1766. He was a very important person in naming animals and plants. The word capensis means "from the Cape of Good Hope," which is a place in South Africa.
This bird belongs to a group of birds called the Euplectes genus. A genus is a group of closely related species. There are six different types, or subspecies, of the yellow bishop.
What Does the Yellow Bishop Look Like?
The yellow bishop is a sturdy bird, about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long.
When it's time to breed, the male yellow bishop is mostly black. But it has bright yellow on its lower back, rump, and shoulders. Its wing feathers have brown edges. The male also has a short crest on its head and a thick, black bill.
When it's not breeding season, the male's black feathers change. They become streaky, buffy-brown. Its bill also turns pale. However, the yellow shoulders and rump stay bright. This helps tell them apart from the females.
Female yellow bishops and young birds are harder to identify. They look very similar to females and young of other related birds. They usually don't have the bright yellow patches.
During the breeding season, these birds often live alone or in pairs. But when it's not breeding time, yellow bishops like to be with other birds. They often form large groups with other types of bishops and widowbirds.
Yellow bishops eat seeds and grains. They also enjoy eating some insects.
Yellow Bishop's Calls and Songs
The yellow bishop makes different sounds. Their calls can sound like zeet zeet zeet. Males also make a harsh zzzzzzt sound when they are flying.
Some yellow bishops, especially those from a specific area in Cameroon, have a different song. It starts with a dry rattling sound, then goes into swit-err, swit-err.
Images for kids
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Female in KwaZulu-Natal
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Non-breeding Male in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
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Juveniles in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
