Tuesday 1 March 2016

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY - Southern Red Bishop in South Africa

While staying at my friends’ home in Johannesburg, South Africa, I discovered that if I walked out of the gated area and into another one opposite where they lived, there was an enormous park with a river and lake in it.  This is where I saw these Southern Red Bishops. They were just getting their breeding plumage and hard to photograph in the reeds.  This was at the end of my time in S. Africa and you can see they have more of their breeding plumage than I showed you before at the beginning of my stay there.  Once again, fortunately I put this in draft as I still have no laptop.  How long can I go on like this!


Southern Red Bishop

12 cm


Breeding male is black and red. Told from male Black-winged Bishop by its black (not red) fore crown and brown (not black) flight feathers; latter difference retained year-round. Non-br. male and female have a broad, buffy supercilium, finely streaked breast and brownish bill. 


These birds in the transitional plumage.


Voice
Advertising males give buzzing, chirping song; also ‘cheet-cheet' flight call and nasal ‘wheet' contact call. 


Common, flock-feeding resident and local nomad in grassland, savanna and fields. Usually roosts and breeds in reed beds.





i hope you ejoyed seeing this lovely little bird.

I am linking this post with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.


Thanks for your visit and also to all those who  leave me comments.

25 comments:

  1. Definitely a 'looker' in its full breeding plumage. Lovely shots Margaret.

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  2. Hello Margaret, I love the beautiful bird. Awesome photos. Have a happy day!

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  3. What a gorgeous bird - hope you can get something sorted soon re: a computer.

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  4. Very colorful now. I wonder how more colorful that can get when in full plumage.

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  5. Lindo pássaro com umas belas cores.
    Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

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  6. Beautiful bird, nicely shown in your great collection of photos!

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  7. their design is quite intricate complicated beautiful colours..I like seeing this transition stage.

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  8. They are colourful for sure and beautiful as well.

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  9. Absolutely gorgeous! LOVE those bright colors. I've been gone so long, I think I forgot how to blog - long story. Hope you're still following!

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  10. Such glorious, vivid birds. I hope your laptop can be fixed soon.

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  11. A colourful and beautiful bird,and you did well to capture it in the reeds.

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  12. He's a dandy! Great shots.

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  13. What an absolutely stunning bird! Wonderful photos, Margaret.

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  14. What gorgeous colors develop on the bird, and the feathers look really fine and fluffy. What a cool find before you had to leave your adventures in Africa, Margaret.

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  15. What a lovely brightly coloured little bird!

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  16. These are gorgeous little birds. I've only been lucky enough to see them in California where there is a feral population. Pretty awesome find!

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  17. A beautiful bird! Lovely pictures :-)) Happy Week!

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  18. Absolutely stunning, Margaret! I hope your computer troubles are resolved soon :(

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  19. what a colourful bird! Great photos.

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  20. Such a pretty bird, with lovely colors. If I were to paint this bird, people will ask me where on earth did I see it.

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  21. Those are beautiful images! I can't imagine going that long without a computer. Glad it's back now.

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  22. What a gorgeous bird! I love the orange and black colours.

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