Yellow Bishop (Euplectes capensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Yellow Bishop

Euplectes capensis (Linnaeus, 1766)

15 cmLength30 gWeight

The yellow bishop (Euplectes capensis), also known as Cape bishop, Cape widow or yellow-rumped widow, is a resident breeding Afromontane bird species.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Yellow Bishop has been recorded at 238 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Rooi-ElsSouth Africa861 records
  2. West Coast NPSouth Africa532 records
  3. Harold Porter Botanical GardensSouth Africa511 records
More places
  1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania349 records
  2. Nairobi NPKenya348 records
  3. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa347 records
  4. Aga Khan University – Loilenok Hills and FieldsTanzania323 records
  5. Lake Nakuru NPKenya304 records
  6. West Coast NP – Abrahamskraal hideSouth Africa302 records
  7. Arusha NPTanzania294 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaTanzaniaZimbabweUgandaZambiaEthiopiaMozambique

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The yellow bishop (Euplectes capensis), also known as Cape bishop, Cape widow or yellow-rumped widow, is a resident breeding Afromontane bird species.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Yellow Bishop?

The Yellow Bishop is about 15 cm long and weighs around 30 g.

Where does the Yellow Bishop live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central, eastern, southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Yellow Bishop?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Yellow Bishop endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow Bishop as Least Concern.

What does the Yellow Bishop eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Yellow Bishop in?

It belongs to the family Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
15 cm
Weight
30 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
76 mm
Tail
54 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: central, eastern, southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Weavers, Widowbirds Ploceidae
Genus
Euplectes

Other birds in the genus Euplectes

Yellow-crowned BishopYellow-crowned BishopEuplectes aferFire-fronted BishopFire-fronted BishopEuplectes diadematusBlack BishopBlack BishopEuplectes gierowiiZanzibar Red BishopZanzibar Red BishopEuplectes nigroventrisBlack-winged Red BishopBlack-winged Red BishopEuplectes hordeaceusSouthern Red BishopSouthern Red BishopEuplectes orixNorthern Red BishopNorthern Red BishopEuplectes franciscanusGolden-backed BishopGolden-backed BishopEuplectes aureusFan-tailed WidowbirdFan-tailed WidowbirdEuplectes axillarisYellow-mantled WidowbirdYellow-mantled WidowbirdEuplectes macrouraMarsh WidowbirdMarsh WidowbirdEuplectes hartlaubiMontane WidowbirdMontane WidowbirdEuplectes psammacromius
Yellow Bishop

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Rogério Ferreira. ↗

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