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| ==Description== | ==Description== | ||
| The White-winged Widowbird is {{convert|15|to(-)|19|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and about {{convert|23|g|oz|abbr=on}} in weight.{{r|kruger}} The male is the only short-tailed widowbird in its region with white on its ]s. The breeding male is distinguished from the ] by its shorter tail, wing color, lack of yellow on its back, and paler bill.{{r|guidebook}} |
The White-winged Widowbird is {{convert|15|to(-)|19|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and about {{convert|23|g|oz|abbr=on}} in weight.{{r|kruger}} The male is the only short-tailed widowbird in its region with white on its ]s. The breeding male is distinguished from the ] by its shorter tail, wing color, lack of yellow on its back, and paler bill.{{r|guidebook}} Females are pale below.{{r|guidebook}}{{r|ethiopia}} | ||
| ==Distribution and habitat== | ==Distribution and habitat== | ||
Revision as of 23:42, 11 June 2011
| White-winged Widowbird | |
|---|---|
| |
| White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus) | |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Ploceidae |
| Genus: | Euplectes |
| Species: | E. albonotatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Euplectes albonotatus (Cassin, 1848) | |
The White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus) is a species of passerine bird in the Ploceidae family native to Africa south of the Sahara. It is highly sexually dimorphic in its breeding season, during which the male's yellow plumage turns dark and he gains more white feathers, contrasting with the female's predominantly pale coloration. Three subspecies are recognised.
Taxonomy
The White-winged Widowbird was first described by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1848. Hybrids with "red bishops", probably Northern Red Bishop (E. franciscanus), have been reported in captivity. Non-captive interbreeding of race eques with nominate appears to occur in southern Tanzania, but they appear to stay segregated in Burundi and western Tanzania. A proposal has been made for race sassii, which is found along the northwestern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Alternate common names include: White-fronted/White-shouldered Widowbird, White-winged/White-shouldered Whydah, Long-tailed Black Whydah, Euplecte à épaules blanches and Veuve À Ailes Blanches (in French), Spiegelweber (in German), and Obispo Aliblanco (in Spanish).
Subspecies
Three subspecies of the White-winged Widowbird are now recognized.
- E. a. albonotatus (J. Cassin, 1848), inhabits Tanzania, DRCongo, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia (Caprivi region), Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa.
- E. a. eques (G. Hartlaub, 1863), or Cinnamon-shouldered Widowbird, inhabits Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
- E. a. asymmetrurus (A. Reichenow, 1892), inhabits São Tomé, Gabon, PRCongo, DRCongo, and Angola.
Description
The White-winged Widowbird is 15 to 19 cm (5.9–7.5 in) in length and about 23 g (0.81 oz) in weight. The male is the only short-tailed widowbird in its region with white on its coverts. The breeding male is distinguished from the Yellow-mantled Widowbird by its shorter tail, wing color, lack of yellow on its back, and paler bill. Females are pale below.
Distribution and habitat
The White-winged Widowbird is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its preferred habitats are savanna, grasslands and wetlands, as well as cultivated land. Its call is "zeh-zeh-zeh" and "witz-witz-witz".
Behaviour
The White-winged Widowbird is polygynous, with one male mating with 3-4 females, and lives in flocks. They create oval nests, created solely by the male, in the branches of trees or shrubs. Nesting takes place from November to May, peaking from December to March. Females will lay a clutch of two to four white eggs, which she will incubate for 12–14 days. Feeding of chicks is done by the female in the nest for 11–14 days, with chick independence coming 22–25 days later. It mainly eats grass seeds, nectar, and insects.
References
- ^ "White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus". BirdLife International. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ "White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus)". Internet Bird Collection. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ "Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer, family: Ploceidae)". Kruger National Park. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ Sinclair, Ian (2005). The larger illustrated guide to birds of southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. pp. 404, 447. ISBN 1770024387. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Gebremedhin, Berihun. "Biodiversity and the New Year in Ethiopia". Institute of Biodiversity Conservation. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- "Euplectes albonotatus". IUCN Red List. IUCN. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ "Euplectes albonotatus (White-winged widowbird, White-winged widow)". Biodiversity Explorer. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
