{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Yellow bishop | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Euplectes capensis'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22719200A94617160 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22719200A94617160.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | image = Yellow Bishop - Kenya S4E8557 (22662474520).jpg | image_caption = Male at Aberdare Range, Kenya | genus = Euplectes | species = capensis | authority = (Linnaeus, 1766) | synonyms = ''Loxia capensis'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1766}} }}
The '''yellow bishop''' ('''''Euplectes capensis'''''), also known as '''Cape bishop''', '''Cape widow'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/ploceidae/euplectes_capensis.htm |title=Euplectes capensis (Yellow bishop, Cape Bishop, Cape Widow, Yellow-rumped widow) |website=www.biodiversityexplorer.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101004143026/http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/ploceidae/euplectes_capensis.htm |archive-date=2010-10-04}}</ref> or '''yellow-rumped widow''', is a resident breeding Afromontane bird species.
This common weaver occurs in less arid vegetated areas, such as fynbos, moist grassland and bracken-covered valleys at altitudes from sea level to the Ethiopian Highlands.
==Taxonomy== In 1760, the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the yellow bishop in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope. He used the French name ''Le pinçon du Cap de Bonne Espérance'' and the Latin ''Fringilla Capitis Bonae Spei''.<ref name=brisson>{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés | volume=3 | language=fr, la | place=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | pages=171–172, Plate 16 fig 1 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35953174 }} The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.</ref> Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.<ref name=allen>{{cite journal |last=Allen | first=J.A. | author-link=Joel Asaph Allen | year=1910 | title=Collation of Brisson's genera of birds with those of Linnaeus |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=28 | pages=317–335 | hdl=2246/678 }}</ref> When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his ''Systema Naturae'' for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson.<ref name=allen/> One of these was the yellow bishop. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name ''Loxia capensis'' and cited Brisson's work.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1766 | title=Systema naturae: per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | edition=12th | volume=1, Part 1 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | place=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=la | page=306 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946502 }}</ref> The specific name ''capensis'' denotes the Cape of Good Hope.<ref name=hbwkey>{{cite web | last=Jobling | first=J.A. | year=2018 | title= Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | publisher=Lynx Edicions | url=https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/definition/capense-capensis | access-date=5 May 2018 }}</ref> This species is now placed in the genus ''Euplectes'' that was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1829 with the southern red bishop as the type species.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Swainson | first=William | author-link=William Swainson | year=1829 | title=Zoological illustrations, or, Original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting animals | series=2nd series | volume=1 | place=London | publisher=Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and W. Wood | at=Plate 37 text | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29155288 }}</ref> There are six subspecies.<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2018 | title=Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers | work=World Bird List Version 8.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/weavers/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=5 May 2018 }}</ref>
==Description== The yellow bishop is a stocky {{convert|15|cm|in}} long bird. The breeding male is black apart from his bright yellow lower back, rump, and shoulder patches, and brown edging to the wing feathers. He has a short crest, thick conical black bill, and a relatively short tail. His bill size varies dramatically between races.<ref name=Sinclair682>{{Harvnb|Sinclair|Ryan|2003|p=682}}</ref>
In non-breeding plumage, the black plumage is replaced by heavily streaked buffy-brown, and the bill is pale. The yellow shoulders and rump remain, and are a distinction from the female which lacks the contrasting colour patches. The juveniles and females are notoriously difficult to identify in the field, appearing identical to the juveniles and females of several other bishops and widowbirds<!--need reference from Roberts--> as well as some seedeaters.
In the breeding season they are usually solitary or in pairs, but the non-breeding yellow bishop is gregarious, often forming flocks with other 'mixed euplectes'.
They feed on seed, grain and some insects.
==Voice== Calls include ''{{not a typo|zeet zeet zeet}}'', and a harsh ''{{not a typo|zzzzzzt}}'' given by the male in flight. The song of the isolated SW Cameroon ''phoenicomerus'' is quite different: a dry rattle followed by ''{{not a typo|swit-err, swit-err}}''.<ref name="Sinclair682"/>
<gallery> File:Yellow Bishop 2014 09 07 10 35 46 0236.jpg|Female in KwaZulu-Natal File:Yellow-bishop-feb1.jpg|Non-breeding Male in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia File:Yellow Bishop juvenile2.jpg|Juveniles in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia </gallery>
==References==<!-- AnnalsOfTheTransvaalMuseum46:113. --> {{Reflist}}
==Cited texts== * {{cite book|last1=Sinclair|first1=Ian|last2=Ryan|first2=Peter|year=2003|title=Birds of Africa south of the Sahara|publisher=Struik|location=Cape Town}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|last1=Sinclair|first1=Ian|last2=Hockey|first2=Phil|first3=Warwick|last3=Tarboton|year=2002|title=''SASOL Birds of Southern Africa''|publisher=Struik|isbn=1-86872-721-1}} * {{cite book|last1=Stevenson|first1=Terry|last2=Fanshaw|first2=John|year=2002|title=A Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Euplectes capensis|''Euplectes capensis''}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Euplectes capensis|''Euplectes capensis''}} * (Yellow bishop = ) Yellow-rumped widow - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/827.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds] *[https://thebdi.org/2023/04/24/yellow-bishop-euplectes-capensis/ Yellow bishop] Structured guide to the species in southern Africa
{{Ploceidae}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1305603}}
yellow bishop Category:Afromontane endemic bird species Category:Birds of the Gulf of Guinea Category:Fauna of the Ethiopian Highlands yellow bishop yellow bishop