Weaver species list / RELATED SPECIES: Black Bishop / Black-winged Bishop / Fire-fronted Bishop / Golden-backed Bishop / Northern Red Bishop / Red-collared Widowbird / Southern Red Bishop / Yellow-crowned Bishop / Zanzibar Bishop
IUCN: Least concern Discovery: 017
Categories: black and yellow bishops
Discovery
 
IntroductionThe Golden-backed Bishop was formally named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, a German naturalist. Gmelin described many new bird species in a book in 1789 in the style of Linnaeus’ publications, giving a brief description in Latin and a synonomy, including a reference to Peter Brown, an English naturalist and illustrator. Gmelin noted the locality for the Golden-backed Bishop as Benguelo.Peter Brown was the first to write about, and illustrate, the Golden-backed Bishop. He called it the Golden backed Finch and gave a description of the bird. Brown notes that the bird was in the collection of Marmaduke Tunstall, an English ornithologist and collector. The bishop would have been brought by ship from coastal Angola to England, where it would have been purchased by Tunstall. Tunstall kept a pair, and possibly more birds, in captivity for several years – one bird survived for at least 8 years (Fox 1827). Scientific citationLoxia aurea Gmelin 1789 Syst. Nat., 1(2), p.846 Benguela (ex Brown, 1776, Nouv. Illustr. Zool., pl. 25), s Angola. Meaning of namesaureus (Latin): aureus, golden. First English nameThe Golden backed Finch (Brown 1776). Alternate namesGolden-backed Bishop-bird, Golden-backed Finch. CollectorUnknown. Date collectedBefore 1776, when a description was first published. Locality collectedBenguelo = Benguela, Angola. Type specimensType specimen no longer exists; the illustration of Brown 1776 serves as a type. |
The above is based on Weaver Wednesday 2, a weekly series about the discovery of each weaver species.
This species text first appeared as Weaver Wednesday [134] – Discovery [17]: Golden-backed Bishop on 2015-01-07
1. Basic biology
  Identification. The Golden-backed Bishop Euplectes aureus breeding male differs from the Yellow-crowned Bishop by a black head, from the Yellow Bishop by wholly golden orange upperparts, white wing edgings (no yellow shoulder), and a shorter tail. The female and nonbreeding male Golden-backed Bishop are distinctive with a rufous-brown breast and flanks, and the upperparts have black feathers edged rufous-brown or orange-buff. Distribution. The Golden-backed Bishop is restricted to a small area of coastal Angola, and Sao Tome Island (see map above, based on Birds of Africa). There are no subspecies of the Golden-backed Bishop. The two isolated populations suggest that this species may have been introduced from Sao Tome to Angola, or vice versa. Habitat. The Golden-backed Bishop inhabits floodplains and rank vegetation in open acacia savanna and abandoned cotton fields, overgrown gardens with bushy cover, and tall razor-grass. In Angola it is restricted to drier lowlands below the escarpment zone. Food. The Golden-backed Bishop feeds on grass seeds and insects. It is generally found in small flocks, and often in mixed-species flocks. Breeding. The Golden-backed Bishop is polygynous. It is not colonial, but nests are clumped in groups of up to 10. The male defends his territory by singing from 3 to 4 song posts, but may also sing in flight over his territory. During courtship, the male fluffs out the long plumes of the back. The Golden-backed Bishop often nests alongside Black-winged Bishops, and males of the 2 species may share song posts. The nest is oval, with a large side entrance. It is loosely woven, with a rough outer shell incorporating living grass leaf blades. A dense inner lining of fine grass seed heads protrude above the entrance, forming a distinct porch. The nest is built by the male. The nest is hidden in grass, where it is attached to vertical grass or herb stems. The eggs (clutch 2-3) are white with fine black speckles. |
The above is based on Weaver Wednesday, a weekly series about weaver species.
This species text first appeared as Weaver Wednesday [90]: Golden-backed Bishop on 2014-03-05
2. Breeding facts
| Pair bond Polygynous Breeding season Nest site Nest building Colony size Clutch size Egg colour Egg size Incubation Chicks and nestling period |
Breeding information based on Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15.
3. Photos of Weaver Nests
 Vm 15780 |
Thumb-nails of most recent PHOWN records