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Orange Bishop Euplectes franciscanus Obispo Anaranjado
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Male - Photo: M. Oberle
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Orange Bishop Euplectes franciscanus Obispo Anaranjado
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Male - Photo: M. Oberle
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The breeding male is bright reddish-orange with a black head and belly. The female and non-breeding plumage male are streaked with dark brown on the back, and have a yellow line above the eye and a dark patch behind the eye. The Orange Bishop is very similar to the Yellow-crowned Bishop in the female and non-breeding male plumages, except that the dark patch behind the eye is less well defined. Length: 12 cm. Audio (M. Oberle). The Orange Bishop is found in tall grass in lowlands, especially on the north coast where it feeds on seeds of tall grasses. Importation records suggest that both bishop species derive from birds imported from Senegal. The Orange Bishop may become less common in Puerto Rico as rice cultivation and other agriculture declines. Regular locations include wet, tall grass fields near the Fajardo airport and Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge. TAXONOMY: PASSERIFORMES; PLOCEIDAE; Ploceinae. Formerly called the Red Bishop, but the Orange Bishop of western Africa was split from the Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) of southern and eastern Africa. The breeding plumage, male Red Bishop has a black throat, whereas the Orange Bishop has a reddish-orange throat and upper breast. |
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Female - Photo: M. Oberle*
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Female - Photo: M. Oberle
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Male - Photo: M. Oberle
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Male - Photo: M. Oberle
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References Camacho Rodríguez, M., J. Chabert Llompart, and M. López Flores. 1999. Guía para la identificación de las aves exóticas establecidas en Puerto Rico. Depto. de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, San Juan, PR. Moreno, Jorge A. 1997. Review of the subspecific status and origin of introduced finches in Puerto Rico. Carib. J. Sci. 33(3-4): 233-238. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. and C. B. Kepler. 1992. Earliest records of the recently introduced avifauna of Puerto Rico. Ornitología Caribeña 3:20-29. Serle, W., G.J. Morel, and W. Hartwig. 1977. A field guide to the birds of West Africa. Collins, Glasgow. Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |