CreatureData

Red-collared widowbird

Euplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens) is a species in the family Ploceidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 18.5 g to 22.7 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens)
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the red-collared widowbird

Weight
18.5 g – 22.7 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
grasslandsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
2.85 – 3.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the red-collared widowbird live?

Not recorded

What is the red-collared widowbird?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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.

From the Wikipedia article “Red-collared widowbird” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red-collared_widowbird&oldid=1379250533), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the red-collared widowbird endangered?

The red-collared widowbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the red-collared widowbird classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyPloceidae
  6. genusEuplectes
  7. SpeciesEuplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)

Synonyms Coliuspasser ardens ardens, Euplectes ardens teitensis, Fringilla ardens, Penthetria ardens teitensis, Vidua rubritorques

Other names and names in other languages (43)
  • Black widowbirdEnglish
  • RCWIEnglish
  • Red-collared whydahEnglish
  • Red-collared whydahEnglish
  • Red-collared widow-birdEnglish
  • RooikeelflapAfrikaans
  • Червеногуша вдовицаBulgarian
  • bisbe de collarCatalan
  • vida límcováCzech
  • gweddw dorchgochWelsh
  • Rødhalset VidafinkeDanish
  • SchildwidaGerman
  • Schild-WidaGerman
  • SchildweberGerman
  • ruĝkoluma teksbirdoEsperanto
  • Obispo acollaradoSpanish
  • مرغ بیوه طوقسرخPersian
  • punakauluspiispaFinnish
  • Veuve noireFrench
  • Euplecte veuve-noireFrench
  • ogrličasta pletiljaCroatian
  • galléros özvegypintyHungarian
  • Vedova dal collareItalian
  • Vedova dal collare rossoItalian
  • Vedova dal collare rosso comuneItalian
  • アカエリホウオウJapanese
  • raudongurklis aksominis audėjasLithuanian
  • rødkrageveverNorwegian Bokmål
  • RoodkeelwidavinkDutch
  • rødsmykkeveverNorwegian
  • wikłacz półobrożnyPolish
  • bispo-de-colarPortuguese
  • bispo-de-colar-vermelhoPortuguese
  • Viúva-de-gola-vermelhaPortuguese
  • Красногорлый ткачикRussian
  • Краснозобый бархатный ткачRussian
  • tkáčik červenoštítySlovak
  • Štitasta vidaSerbian
  • rödhalsad vidafinkSwedish
  • Al Gerdanlı DulkuşuTurkish
  • вайдаг великийUkrainian
  • 紅領寡婦鳥Chinese
  • 红领巧织雀Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the red-collared widowbird

Other species in the same genus Euplectes.

CompareRed-collared widowbird vs Southern red bishopRed-collared widowbird vs Long-tailed widowbirdRed-collared widowbird vs Northern red bishopRed-collared widowbird vs Yellow-crowned bishop

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the red-collared widowbird?

An adult red-collared widowbird weighs 18.5 g – 22.7 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the red-collared widowbird endangered?

The red-collared widowbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the red-collared widowbird?

The red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens) belongs to the family Ploceidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-collared-widowbird

MLA

“Red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-collared-widowbird.

BibTeX
@misc{red_collared_widowbird_2026,
  title = {Red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-collared-widowbird},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}