Golden-backed Bishop Euplectes aureus Scientific name definitions

12 cm; 25 g. Small, short-tailed bishop. Male breeding  has head black, upperparts golden-orange, posteriorly some feathers tipped black, uppertail-coverts grey-brown; upperwing and tail brownish-black with buff edging on feathers; chin, throat, breast and belly black, thighs and undertail-coverts white; iris brown; bill black; legs brown. Female and non-breeding male have top of head and upperparts rufous-brown with dark central streaks on feathers, wings and tail brown with rufous edgings, some greater coverts and especially median coverts white-tipped; yellow superciliary stripe , brown lores, cheek and ear-coverts; chin and throat white to pale yellow, breast and flanks rufous-brown with dark central streaks on some feathers, belly , thighs and undertail-coverts white; iris brown; upper mandible brown, lower mandible yellowish-brown; legs brown. Juvenile resembles female, but with yellowish wash in plumage.

São Tomé I and coastal Angola (from Luanda and Bengo S to Benguela, and recorded in extreme NE Zaire (1 Stavrou, C., and M. S. L. Mills (2013). Observations of birds of the Soyo area, northwest Angola. Malimbus 35(1):27–36. Close ) ); perhaps introduced in one of the two areas.

Little information. Diet seeds and insects; small grass seeds selected by captive individuals. Generally encountered in small flocks; often in mixed-species flocks with congeners.