Orange Bishop

Orange Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus), Patagonia, Santa Cruz County

The Orange Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) is a common bird in the American pet trade. Feral populations originating from escaped birds are prospering in California and it has bred in urban Phoenix. Escaped female individuals of this species seen away from these larger populations present an identication challenge to birders not expecting an African species. They are most commonly mistaken for Grasshopper Sparrows and Bobolinks and less commonly for Dickcissels. The brilliant orange and black male is nearly unmistakable.

Orange Bishop is illustrated in Sibley and National Geographic guides to birds of North America.

An article on identification of females is available at:

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/wb/v29n03/p0231-p0232.pdf

and an article on their former nesting location in Phoenix (now abandoned) is at:

http://www.maricopaaudubon.org/wrendition/wren_111200.htm#art5

Photos (c) Mark Stevenson of a female Bishop at Paton's feeders in Patagonia, Santa Cruz County, AZ on 24 September 2007.