Red-cowled Widowbird
Euplectes laticauda
A small widowbird. The breeding male is jet black, with a crimson collar and crown, and a 20-centimeter floppy graduated tail. The female and non-breeding male have dark streaked upperparts, pale unstreaked or faintly streaked underparts, with a buffy band across the breast, and a yellowish eyebrow and face, and lack the long tail. Pairs breed at middle and high elevations, in open grassland, savanna, scrub, and cultivated areas. The species may flock, often with other seedeaters, and move locally when breeding is over. Breeding males are distinctive, but non-breeding males and females can be confused with many other species. Can be tentatively identified by the lack of red or yellow in the wing, along with a buffy breast that is unstreaked or only lightly streaked.
Identification
The red-cowled widowbird (Euplectes laticauda) is a species of bird in the weaver family Ploceidae. Red-cowled widowbirds are found in grasslands and bush clearings in East Africa. They are known for their long tails and brilliant red badges, both which act as sexual ornaments. They are often associated with other widowbird and bishop species. They are polygynous, where males acquisition of territory is an important determinant in their access to mates. Red-cowled widowbirds have a wide range and there is little concern in terms of conservation status. The red-cowled widowbird was formerly considered as conspecific with the red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens). The species were split based on the substantial difference in plumage and the tail lengths of males when in breeding plumage. Two subspecies are recognised: E. l. laticauda (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823) – southeast Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia E. l. suahelicus (Van Someren, 1921) – central Kenya to north Tanzania
Taxonomy
Genus: Euplectes; Family: Ploceidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Euplectes laticauda
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Genus
- Euplectes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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