Red-collared Widowbird
Euplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens) is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. Red-collared widowbirds are found in grasslands and bush clearings in western and southern Africa. They are known for their long tails and brilliant red badges, both of which act as sexual ornaments. They are often associated with other widowbird and bishop species. They are polygynous, where males acquisition of territory is an important determinant in their access to mates. Red-collared widowbirds have a wide range and there is little concern in terms of conservation status.
Wikipedia contributors, Red-collared widowbird; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:54:37.242744+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Euplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)
- Name authority
- (Boddaert, 1783)
- Common name
- Red-collared Widowbird
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ploceidae
- Genus
- Euplectes
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyPloceidae Sundevall, 1836
- genusEuplectes Swainson, 1829
- speciesEuplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Euplectes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Black BishopEuplectes gierowii Cabanis, 1880 | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-winged Red BishopEuplectes hordeaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Montane WidowbirdEuplectes psammacromius (Reichenow, 1900) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Euplectes macroura (Gmelin, 1789) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-tailed WidowbirdEuplectes progne (Boddaert, 1783) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Zanzibar Red BishopEuplectes nigroventris Cassin, 1848 | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red BishopEuplectes orix (Linnaeus, 1758) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-winged WidowbirdEuplectes albonotatus (Cassin, 1848) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow BishopEuplectes capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Red BishopEuplectes franciscanus (Isert, 1789) | PloceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=560036 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6HCWG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.