Yellow-crowned Bishop

The Yellow-crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer, is a small passerine bird, a member of the Ploceidae family, native to the grasslands of Africa south of the Sahara. This species exhibits a striking sexual dimorphism, particularly during the breeding season when the male dons a vibrant yellow and black plumage, a stark contrast to the female's more subdued brown tones.

Identification Tips

During the breeding season, the male Yellow-crowned Bishop is unmistakable with its black lower face, throat, breast, and belly, set off by a brilliant yellow crown, forehead, and hindcrown. A wide black collar graces the back of the neck, and the rump and back are also yellow, with a yellow patch on the shoulder. The wings and tail are brown. Outside of the breeding season, the male resembles the female, with both sporting a horn-colored bill, as opposed to the male's black bill during breeding. The female is characterized by pale brown upperparts with darker streaking, a paler eyebrow, and off-white underparts finely streaked with dark on the breast and flanks.

Habitat

The Yellow-crowned Bishop favors grasslands, vleis, and pans, showing a particular fondness for wheat and sorghum fields, as well as weedy vegetation adjacent to wetlands.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed across many African countries and has been introduced to Jamaica, Japan, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Spain, and Venezuela. Escaped individuals have been observed in southern California.

Behaviour

The Yellow-crowned Bishop is known for its gregarious and nomadic nature, often forming flocks that may include weavers and sparrows outside the breeding season. It is a polygynous species, with males building multiple nests to attract females. These birds are also known to wander in response to rainfall to find suitable breeding areas.

Song & Calls

The call of the Yellow-crowned Bishop is a high-pitched, rasping, buzzing swizzle, somewhat insect-like in quality.

Breeding

Breeding occurs from November to May, peaking between December and March. Males do not breed in colonies but are polygynous, each building two or more oval nests with top openings among standing grasses or sedges. Females lay two to four white eggs, which they incubate alone for 12-14 days. Chicks fledge after 11-13 days and gain independence five weeks later.

Similar Species

The Yellow-crowned Bishop can be confused with the Yellow Bishop when males are in breeding plumage, though the latter is larger and lacks the yellow crown. Non-breeding males and females might be mistaken for the Southern Red Bishop, which has buff-colored rather than white underparts.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists of insects, grain, and seeds.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-crowned Bishop as Least Concern, indicating a stable population without significant threats.