About Euplectes gierowii Cabanis, 1880
This species, commonly called the black bishop, has the scientific name Euplectes gierowii Cabanis, 1880. It measures 14 to 16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) in length, making it large for its genus. Breeding males have black wings, tail, chest, cheeks, and forehead. Their neck, back of the head, and breast band are orange or orange-red. The under tail-coverts are pale buff with black streaks. The upper back is yellow or orange-yellow in subspecies ansorgei, and orange in subspecies friederichseni. The throat is scarlet in the nominate subspecies and black in ansorgei. Subspecies friederichseni has isabelline undertail coverts, golden yellow upper back, and brown rump. Like finches, this species has a characteristic conical bill, which is black, and its tarsus is brown. Females are dark overall, including the sides of the face; they have boldly spotted under tail-coverts, and dark spots across a buff-colored breast. The female's wing linings are black. Non-breeding males have black back, wings, and rump, with yellowish supercilia and chin; the sides of the face and breast are tawny buff. Juveniles resemble females but have smaller breast spots. The calls of the black bishop are various subdued twittering sounds, including the sequences: see-zee see-zee see-zhe see-zhe SEE-ZHEE, zee-zee-zeezee-zee, and hishaah, hishaah, SHAAAAAAH, tsee-tseet-tseet-tseet. The black bishop is native to Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its preferred habitats are grasslands, shrublands, and wetlands.
