Black Bishop Euplectes gierowii

Distribution. The Black Bishop is found in widely separated populations which form 3 subspecies (see map above, based on Birds of Africa):
E. g. ansorgei, or Northern Black Bishop, from Cameroon across to Ethiopia and western Kenya (see red on map). The breeding male of this subspecies has more extensive black on the crown and throat, a narrower orange collar on the upper breast, and the lowermost underparts are buff with broad dark streaks.
E. g. gierowii, Angola Black Bishop, in DRCongo and Angola (see blue on map). The male of this subspecies has the mantle yellow, not orange.
E. g. friederichseni, or Southern Black Bishop, in southern Kenya and Tanzania (see green on map). The male male has the hindcrown and nape to back bright orange, rump buff with dark feather centres, a broad orange band around the breast, black lower breast and belly, buff thighs and undertail-coverts.
In most parts of its range, the Black Bishop is uncommon to rare. The subspecies may be emerging species.

Habitat. The Black Bishop inhabits tall grassland, in swampy or drier bushy areas, and also scrub and sugar cane. In Kenya it is found in areas with more than 1000 mm annual rainfall, whereas in Tanzania it occurs in drier country. It is often found with the Black-winged Bishop in East Africa.

Food. The diet of the Black Bishop includes seeds and insects, the latter including winged ants and alate termites. It forages mainly in pairs and small groups, and joins mixed species flocks in the non-breeding season.

Breeding. The Black Bishop is polygynous, and the male holds a territory containing three or four nests. The nest is coarsely woven, with a large entrance high on one side. It is built with grass, and lined with grass seedheads. The nest is usually placed above the above ground in elephant grass, attached to one vertical stalk and some leaf blades, although one nest was in the fork of a shrub.

The clutch is 2-4 eggs, and the eggs are bright blue, sometimes with fine black or red-brown spotting. Nothing else is known about its breeding habits.

Breeding season
May-Aug in NE DRCongo, Apr-Oct and Dec in Uganda, May in Kenya, and Apr-Jun and Dec in Tanzania

Nest site
in Uganda 2 m above ground in elephant grass, attached to one vertical stalk and some leaf blades, one nest in Tanzania was 1 m above ground in fork of wood shrub

Nest building
No information

Colony size
male holding territory holding three or four nests

Clutch size
2-4 eggs

Egg colour
bright blue, sometimes with fine black or red-brown spotting

Egg size
size 20.6 x 15.3 mm

Incubation
No information

Chicks and nestling period
No information