Weavers (Ploceidae)
Red-collared Widowbird (Euplectes ardens) - HBW 15, p. 144
French: Euplecte veuve-noire
German: Schildweber
Spanish: Obispo Acollarado
Other common names: Red-collared Whydah; Red-naped Widowbird, Eastern Red-collared Widowbird (laticauda); Black Widowbird/Whydah ("concolor")
Taxonomy: Fringilla ardens Boddaert, 1783, South Africa.
Molecular data indicate that this species is a long-tailed bishop, not closely allied to the other widowbirds. Has hybridized in captivity with E. orix, E. hordeaceus, E. macroura and E. axillaris. Race laticauda, segregated altitudinally from nominate in area of range overlap in Sudan, possibly represents a separate species; further study required. Males with all-black plumage, occurring through most of range of nominate, formerly recognized as race concolor (described from Sierra Leone), but now considered a melanistic morph; also, intermediates be.. View all taxonomy...
Molecular data indicate that this species is a long-tailed bishop, not closely allied to the other widowbirds. Has hybridized in captivity with E. orix, E. hordeaceus, E. macroura and E. axillaris. Race laticauda, segregated altitudinally from nominate in area of range overlap in Sudan, possibly represents a separate species; further study required. Males with all-black plumage, occurring through most of range of nominate, formerly recognized as race concolor (described from Sierra Leone), but now considered a melanistic morph; also, intermediates between these two morphs recorded in Angola, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Proposed race tropicus (described from Karema, in Tanzania) considered inseparable from nominate. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- ardens ( Boddaert, 1783) - S Mali, N Guinea, inland Sierra Leone, N Liberia, N Ivory Coast, SW Niger, C & SE Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, S Sudan, S PRCongo, NE and S DRCongo, C & NE Angola, Uganda, W Kenya and C & NE Tanzania S to Zambia, Malawi, NW & S Mozambique, Zimbabwe (C plateau), Swaziland, Lesotho lowlands and E South Africa.
- laticauda ( M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1823) - highlands of SE Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- suahelicus ( van Someren, 1921) - highlands of Kenya and Tanzania.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird on the top of a branch, preening Locality Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda (ssp ardens)
Josep del Hoyo 4 September 2006 6 years ago 34 sec 4.6 -
A bird calling from the top of a branch Locality Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda (ssp ardens)
Josep del Hoyo 4 September 2006 6 years ago 40 sec 4.3 -
A breeding male of the entirely black race in a field, flying from perch to perch Locality Nyabyeya, Uganda (ssp ardens)
Josep del Hoyo 31 August 2006 6 years ago 31 sec 3.8 -
A male in breeding plumage Locality Naro Moru, Kenya (ssp suahelicus)
Brooke Clibbon 9 December 2002 6 years ago 14 sec 3.7 -
A bird perched looking around. Locality Berlin Zoo, Berlin, Germany
Josep del Hoyo 21 March 2008 4 years ago 28 sec 3.4 -
A moulting male changing perches and singing twice. Locality Berlin Zoo, Berlin, Germany
Josep del Hoyo 21 March 2008 4 years ago 37 sec 3.3
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one individual out of a flock of non non breeding birds
Locality Ethiopia (ssp laticauda)
Stefan Helming 5 May 2009 4 years ago 4.3 -
Red-collared Widowbird totaly black
Locality West Province, Cameroon (ssp ardens)
Bernard Guevorts 14 August 2012 37 weeks ago 4 -
An adult perched on a bush.
Locality Drakensberg Mountains, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa (ssp ardens)
Carmelo López 14 November 2010 2 years ago 3.9 -
Flying low over the grass
Locality Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Smoghead 13 December 2009 25 weeks ago 3.4 -
An adult male of formerly recognized race concolor.
Locality Berlin Zoo, Berlin, Germany (ssp "concolor")
Tomasz Doroń 30 September 2009 23 weeks ago 3.3 -
An adult male in breeding plumage.
Locality Plzen Zoo, Plzen, Plzen Region, Czech Republic (ssp ardens)
Tomasz Doroń 24 October 2011 23 weeks ago 3.3
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A male emiting a trill while defending its perch. Locality Berlin Zoo, Berlin, Germany
Josep del Hoyo 21 March 2008 23 weeks ago 3
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