Batis

For other uses, see Batis (disambiguation).

Batis is a genus of passerine birds in the wattle-eye family. Its species are resident in Africa south of the Sahara. They were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

They are small stout insect-eating birds, usually found in open forests or bush. The nest is a small neat cup low in a tree or bush. They hunt by flycatching, or by taking prey from the ground like a shrike.

Batis species are strikingly patterned, typically with a grey crown, black eye mask, dark back, and paler underparts, often with a coloured or black breast band and white on the throat which contrasts strongly with the black eye stripe. Male and female plumages usually differ.

The song is typically a descending triple whistle.

Species in taxonomic order

• Boulton's Batis, Batis margaritae
• Short-tailed Batis, Batis mixta
  • Forest Batis, Batis (mixta) reichenowi
• Ruwenzori Batis, Batis diops
• Cape Batis, Batis capensis
• Woodward's Batis, Batis fratrum
• Chinspot Batis, Batis molitor
• Pale Batis, Batis soror
• Pririt Batis, Batis pririt
• Senegal Batis, Batis senegalensis
• Grey-headed Batis, Batis orientalis
• Black-headed Batis, Batis minor
• Pygmy Batis, Batis perkeo
• Verreaux's Batis, Batis minima
• Ituri Batis, Batis ituriensis
• Fernando Po Batis, Batis poensis
• West African Batis, Batis occulta
• Angola Batis, Batis minulla

References

• Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1

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