[3] Euplectes directly translates to “good weaver,” while franciscanus relates to the Franciscans, a religious order from the 12th century that symbolized the crimson color.

[6] This plumage is present on the backside of the male and wraps around the chin to back of the head, throat, and breast, with a dark black crown, forehead, flank, and belly.

[3] Northern red bishops generally reside in tall grasslands or cultivated areas near water and marshes.

The northern red bishop has been reported in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Jamaica, and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, along with recorded occurrences in Cuba.

[8] In recent decades, the northern red bishop were introduced to areas of the United States, including southern California, Texas, and Hawaii.

[9] In 1997, the estimated population size of northern red bishops in Los Angeles and Orange counties reached 400, although this number has likely declined in recent years due to a loss of marshland habitat.

The genus Euplectes is notorious for sexually selected characteristics, including elaborate displays and elongated tail feathers.

Possibly due to higher androgen levels at the time, both the HVc and RA significantly increase in volume during the breeding season.

Notable grasses the northern red bishop feeds on include Echinochloa, Cortaderia, and Paspalum dilatatum.

[2] Northern red bishops tend to form large flocks in the nonbreeding season and may be seen with other canaries or waxbills.

Its closest relative, the southern red bishop, builds nests within reed beds near water, providing coverage from possible nearby predators.

[12] Over the past couple of centuries, many people have collected and introduced the species to other areas of the world, including the United States (California and Texas) and the Caribbean (Cuba).

[7][6] In some regions of Africa, they can be regarded as pests to crops, damaging rice, sugar cane, millet, and maize.