Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis Scientific name definitions

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Breeds Nov in Cameroon and Jul–Oct in Ethiopia; in DRCongo, Jul–Nov in Uele, Jan–Mar in Itombwe, Dec in Katanga, and Feb–Apr in Lubumbashi; in Kenya mainly Mar–Jun, also Nov–Feb, and May–Sept (dependent on rainfall) on Laikipia Plateau; Apr–May in Tanzania; Mar–May in Angola, Dec–Apr in Zambia, Jan–May in Malawi, Dec–Mar in Zimbabwe and Dec–Feb in Mozambique; in South Africa, Aug–Dec in winter-rainfall region, Nov–Mar in summer-rainfall area; often double-brooded. Polygynous, with three or four females per male. Often solitary, and never truly colonial; may defend territory against congeners, as well as conspecifics, but in E Africa nested in close association with E. hordeaceus and E. nigroventris, and nest in Zambia within territory of E. albonotatus; territory size in Tanzania estimated at 3000–4000 m², in Ethiopia 10 territories in 80 ha. In "bumble-flight" display to females entering territory, male, with yellow rump feathers puffed up and tail depressed, flies on zigzag course during which burst of song alternates with wing-rattling noise; in perched courtship sways from side to side while leaning back with all feathers ruffled and white strip visible on lower breast (feather bases exposed). Nest domed with side entrance, woven by male from grass strips, living grass may be woven into structure, lined by female with grass seedheads, which may project from entrance to form a porch, one nest in South Africa lined with sheep's wool, placed 0·5-1·5 m above ground in grass or small shrub, male nips off tops of herbs around nest; old nests used by Karoo Prinia (Prinia maculosa) and by Zebra Waxbill (Amandava subflava). Clutch 2–4 eggs, very variable, five basic types, (i) bluish-white and heavily speckled with reddish-brown, (ii) green-tinged light brown and heavily blotched and streaked with dark brown and grey, (iii) olive-brown with ash-brown spots, (iv) cream or very pale greenish, evenly covered in bold freckling of olive, sepia and grey, (v) pale bluish-grey, blotched and spotted with reddish-brown and olive-brown, average size of 25 eggs 21·3 x 15 mm (South Africa); incubation by female, 13–16 days, in captivity 13 days reported; chicks fed by female, primarily by regurgitation, nestling period 16–20 days (14–15 days also reported). No confirmed records of brood parasitism, but adults attacked a stuffed Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius). Many nests lost to predation; of 19 nests in Western Cape (South Africa), only four produced fledged young. Maximum recorded longevity in Malawi more than 9 years; annual mortality rate over 17 years of study estimated at 54%.