Weavers (Ploceidae)
Yellow Bishop (Euplectes capensis) - HBW 15, p. 149
French: Euplecte à croupion jaune
German: Samtweber
Spanish: Obispo Culigualdo
Other common names: Yellow-rumped Bishop/Widow, Black-and-yellow/Cape Bishop
Taxonomy: Loxia capensis Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Molecular data indicate that this species is a short-tailed widowbird, not closely allied to the bishop group. Has hybridized with E. axillaris in captivity. Other proposed races are sabinjo (described from Sabinjo, in E DRCongo), kilimensis (from Moshi, in NE Tanzania), litoris (from Morogoro, in S Tanzania), transvaalensis (from Woodbush, in C Limpopo, in N South Africa) and zambesiensis (from Boror, in Mozambique), all synonymized with crassirostris; and, in South Africa, macrorhynchus (described from Klawer, on R Olifants, in NW Wes.. View all taxonomy...
Molecular data indicate that this species is a short-tailed widowbird, not closely allied to the bishop group. Has hybridized with E. axillaris in captivity. Other proposed races are sabinjo (described from Sabinjo, in E DRCongo), kilimensis (from Moshi, in NE Tanzania), litoris (from Morogoro, in S Tanzania), transvaalensis (from Woodbush, in C Limpopo, in N South Africa) and zambesiensis (from Boror, in Mozambique), all synonymized with crassirostris; and, in South Africa, macrorhynchus (described from Klawer, on R Olifants, in NW Western Cape), included in nominate, and knysnae (from Knysna, in SE Western Cape), treated as a synonym of approximans. Six subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- phoenicomerus G. R. Gray, 1862 - highlands of SE Nigeria and W & C Cameroon; also Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- xanthomelas Rüppell, 1840 - highlands of Ethiopia.
- crassirostris ( Ogilvie-Grant, 1907) - SE Sudan, W & E Uganda, E & SE DRCongo, Rwanda and Burundi, C Kenya and coastal and highland Tanzania S to Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe plateau and highlands, NE South Africa and C & S Mozambique.
- phoenicomerus G. R. Gray, 1862 - highlands of SE Nigeria and W & C Cameroon; also Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- xanthomelas Rüppell, 1840 - highlands of Ethiopia.
- crassirostris ( Ogilvie-Grant, 1907) - SE Sudan, W & E Uganda, E & SE DRCongo, Rwanda and Burundi, C Kenya and coastal and highland Tanzania S to Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe plateau and highlands, NE South Africa and C & S Mozambique.
- angolensis Neunzig, 1928 - highlands of Angola.
- capensis ( Linnaeus, 1766) - S South Africa (Western Cape E to Knysna region).
- approximans ( Cabanis, 1851) - E South Africa (from Gauteng S to Knysna), W Swaziland and Lesotho.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A non-breeding plumaged male perched before flying away, with a female in the background Locality Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve, Northern Region, Malawi (ssp crassirostris)
Greg Baker 27 October 2005 26 weeks ago 13 sec 4 -
A male in non-breeding plumage preening in a bush. Locality Dinsho, Bale Mountains National Park, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp xanthomelas)
Josep del Hoyo 2 December 2005 7 years ago 28 sec 3.9 -
Front view of a perched male Locality West Coast National Park, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp capensis)
Greg Baker 24 September 2002 38 weeks ago 20 sec 3.7
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Non-breeding male
Locality Wilderness, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Chris and Megan Perkins 17 March 2009 4 years ago 4 -
non breeding male
Locality Dinsho, Bale Mountains National Park, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Marco Valentini 31 December 2012 17 weeks ago 3.3 -
Male perching on post at road 65 km E of Shashamane.
Locality Shashamane, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain 15 July 2009 1 year ago 3.2 -
A female perched on a post.
Locality Bale Mountains National Park, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp xanthomelas)
David Beadle 23 January 2009 16 weeks ago 3 -
Male assuming breeding plumage, perched in reeds
Locality Van Riebeeckshof, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp capensis)
Loutjie Steenberg 15 July 2011 1 year ago 2.7 -
Male assuming breeding plumage
Locality Van Riebeeckshof, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp capensis)
Loutjie Steenberg 15 July 2011 1 year ago 2.7
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Calls. 11:07am. A male perched in tall grass. Locality Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province, South Africa
(ssp approximans)
Charles Hesse 20 December 2009 3 years ago 3
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