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By Alexander Wetmore
The orange weaver
(Euplectes franciscana), known to aviculturists as the
"orange bishop," is a
native of northern tropical Africa. The male
is a bird of handsome
color and unusual plumage, as the upper and
under tail coverts are
nearly as long as the
tail, and the elongated
flank feathers form
puffs that are thrown
out in display on either
side (Color Plate V).
The female and the young male are streaked,
sparrowlike little birds with no hint of the
brilliant colors of the adult male.
These are birds kept primarily for color,
and are found in many aviaries. Three distinct species are ordinarily grouped as "orange
bishops" by bird dealers, the one described
above being the smallest. The red bishop, or
grenadier bishop (Euplectes orix), is the largest of the three, and has the head and throat
black like the abdomen, and the wings and
tail blackish. The fire-crowned, or crimson-crowned, bishop (Euplectes kordeacea) has
the crown orange instead of black. Two related species. the Napoleon and the taha weavers. have the males colored vividly in yellow
and black.
Originally appeared in the December 1938 issue of the National Geographic Magazine
This Web version COPYRIGHT 2004
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