Yellow-crowned Bishop

SCI Name:  Euplectes afer
Protonym:  Loxia afra Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.857
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Ploceidae / Euplectes
Taxonomy Code:  yecbis
Type Locality:  Africa (Senegal; Grant and Mackworth-Praed, 1944, Bull. Brit. Orn. CI., 65, p. 10).
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

EUPLECTES
(Ploceidae; Ϯ Southern Red Bishop E. orix) Gr. ευ eu  fine, good; Mod. L. plectes  weaver  < Gr. πλεκω plekō  to plait; "DIVISIONS OR SUB-GENERA.  MALIMBUS. Vieil.  ...  PLOCEUS. Cuv.  ...  EUPLECTES. Nob.  Bill of Ploceus. Toes and claws very slender. The greater quills scarcely longer than the lesser; spurious quill very minute.  Type, Loxia Orix. L.  ...  The Weaving Birds, confined to the hotter regions of the old world, are chiefly found in Africa, where they represent the Hangnests (Icterinæ) of America: an analogy long since remarked by Buffon. Both these tribes astonish us by the consummate skill with which they fabricate their nests: but the intelligence displayed by the African Weavers is still more wonderful." (Swainson 1829); "Euplectes Swainson, Zool. Illustr. 2nd ser. i, text to pl. 37, 1929 [sic = 1829].  Type by original designation, Loxia orix Linn." (W. Sclater, 1930, Syst. Av. Aethiop., II, p. 759).
Var. Eupodes.
Synon. Boetticherella, Chera, Coliuspasser, Coliostruthus, Diatropura, Drepanoplectes, Groteiplectes, Hyperanthus, Niobe, Niobella, Oryx, Paraplectes, Penthetria, Penthetriopsis, Phlogoplectes, Pyromelana, Tachyplectes, Taha, Urobrachya, Xanthomelana.

afer
L. Afer, Afra  African  < Africa  Africa, originally the territory of Carthage.
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Red-breasted Green Creeper” of Edwards 1764 (Cinnyris).
● Africa (= Senegal); ex “Black-bellied Grosbeak” of Brown 1776 and Latham 1783 (Euplectes).
● Madagascar; ex “Cuculus madagascariensis major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand coucou de Madagascar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 587, “Vourou-driou” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “African Cuckow” of Latham 1782 (syn. Leptosomus discolor).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Black-breasted Titmouse” of Latham 1783 (Melaniparus).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Variété du Coucou Edolio” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 209 (syn. Oxylophus levaillantii).
● Africa (= Benguella); ex “Perdrix d’Afrique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 180, and “Perdrix rouge d’Afrique” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Pternistis).
● Senegal; ex “Pie du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Ptilostomus).
● Maoflang, Khasi Hills, Assam (syn. Pycnonotus cafer) (probably a wordplay on cafer).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “African Warbler” and “Spotted Yellow Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Sphenoeacus).
● Senegal; ex “Turtur Senegalensis” of Brisson 1760 (Turtur).
● "60. TROCHILUS.   ...   afer.  2. T. curvirostris, corpore viridi, alis cæruleis, rectricibus nigris: intermediis longissimis.  Habitat in Æthiopia.  J. Burmannus." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; nom. dub.).

SUBSPECIES

Yellow-crowned Bishop (afer)
SCI Name: Euplectes afer afer
afer
L. Afer, Afra  African  < Africa  Africa, originally the territory of Carthage.
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Red-breasted Green Creeper” of Edwards 1764 (Cinnyris).
● Africa (= Senegal); ex “Black-bellied Grosbeak” of Brown 1776 and Latham 1783 (Euplectes).
● Madagascar; ex “Cuculus madagascariensis major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand coucou de Madagascar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 587, “Vourou-driou” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “African Cuckow” of Latham 1782 (syn. Leptosomus discolor).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Black-breasted Titmouse” of Latham 1783 (Melaniparus).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “Variété du Coucou Edolio” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 209 (syn. Oxylophus levaillantii).
● Africa (= Benguella); ex “Perdrix d’Afrique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 180, and “Perdrix rouge d’Afrique” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Pternistis).
● Senegal; ex “Pie du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Ptilostomus).
● Maoflang, Khasi Hills, Assam (syn. Pycnonotus cafer) (probably a wordplay on cafer).
● Cape of Good Hope; ex “African Warbler” and “Spotted Yellow Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Sphenoeacus).
● Senegal; ex “Turtur Senegalensis” of Brisson 1760 (Turtur).
● "60. TROCHILUS.   ...   afer.  2. T. curvirostris, corpore viridi, alis cæruleis, rectricibus nigris: intermediis longissimis.  Habitat in Æthiopia.  J. Burmannus." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.; nom. dub.).

Yellow-crowned Bishop (strictus)
SCI Name: Euplectes afer strictus
strictus
L. strictus close, tight, brief, severe < stringere to bind together.

Yellow-crowned Bishop (taha)
SCI Name: Euplectes afer taha
taha
Tswana name Thağa for a small brightly coloured bird like a weaver (cf. Sotho name Thakha for the bishop weavers); "The names given by the Natives to the objects above described, I have adopted as the trivial ones" (A. Smith 1836) (subsp. Euplectes afer).