Photo: Knowledge and philosophy / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Red Bishop
Euplectes franciscanus
Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) is a member of the Ploceidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Ploceidae Weavers, Widowbirds
- Genus Euplectes
- Species franciscanus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Red Bishop is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Northern Red Bishop is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) belongs to the Ploceidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c, e.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 3.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Red Bishop?
The Northern Red Bishop is a small bird that weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Northern Red Bishop live?
The Northern Red Bishop is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, e, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Northern Red Bishop belong to?
The Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) belongs to the Ploceidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Red Bishop eat?
The Northern Red Bishop is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Northern Red Bishop migrate?
The Northern Red Bishop is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Red Bishop endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern Red Bishop make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Red Bishop — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Red Bishop's range?
The Northern Red Bishop has a mapped global range of about 3.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.