The Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) is a weaver belonging to the family Ploceidae. This beautiful inhabitant of the South African marshy grassland and cultivated areas in open country is a common species. Often seen perched on reeds, the bright plumage of the Southern Red Bishop is a jewel in this landscape. On the head, a black face mask includes the forehead, forecrown, lores, cheeks, chin and upper throat. North of the Equator, it is replaced by the Northern Red Bishop or Orange Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus). The main difference is geography and subtle plumage details: the Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) lives in Southern Africa with a black forecrown and red/black plumage, while the Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) also Orange Bishop, lives north of the equator, distinguished by its continuous red chin and throat extending further up the head and lacking the distinct black forecrown of its southern relative, though females/non-breeding males are nearly identical.
