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Batis (bird)
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Batis (disambiguation)
.
Batis is a genus of passerine
bird
s 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.
Batis (disambiguation)
Batis is a genus of plants. It may also refer to:* Batis , an ancient military commander* Batis of Lampsacus, an Epicurean philosopher* Batis , a genus of birds in the wattle-eye family* Batis an invalid genus of moths...
.
Batis is a genus of passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the wattle-eye
Wattle-eye
Platysteiridae is a family of small stout passerine birds of the African tropics. The family contains the wattle-eyes, batises and shrike-flycatchers. They were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.These insect-eating birds are found in usually open...
family. Its species are resident in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
south of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. They were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
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
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
.
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 BatisBoulton's BatisMargaret's Batis or Boulton's Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
, Batis margaritae - Short-tailed BatisShort-tailed BatisThe Forest Batis or Short-tailed Batis is a species of bird in the wattle-eye family, Platysteiridae. It is found in tropical moist forests in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. It mainly occurs in montane forest but in south-east Kenya it is found in lowland forest near the coast.The Dark...
, Batis mixta- Reichenow's Batis, Batis (mixta) reichenowi
- Dark BatisDark BatisThe Dark Batis is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Batis in the wattle-eye family, Platysteiridae. It is found in highland forest in south-west Tanzania and northern Malawi. These birds were formerly thought to be Short-tailed Batises The Dark Batis (Batis crypta) is a small passerine...
, Batis crypta - Ruwenzori BatisRuwenzori BatisThe Ruwenzori Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family. It is found in the Albertine Rift in Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is montane forests above 1,400 m.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded...
, Batis diops - Cape BatisCape BatisThe Cape Batis, Batis capensis, is a small passerine bird in the wattle-eye family. It is resident in the highlands of southern and eastern South Africa and Zimbabwe....
, Batis capensis - Woodward's Batis, Batis fratrum
- Chinspot BatisChinspot BatisThe chinspot batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
, Batis molitor - Pale BatisPale BatisThe Pale Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and dry savanna.-References:...
, Batis soror - Pririt BatisPririt BatisThe Pririt Batis also known as the Pririt Puff-back Flycatcher or Pririt Puffback, is a small passerine bird in the wattle-eye family. It is resident in western and central southern Africa....
, Batis pririt - Senegal BatisSenegal BatisThe Senegal Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or...
, Batis senegalensis - Grey-headed BatisGrey-headed BatisThe Grey-headed Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda....
, Batis orientalis - Eastern Black-headed Batis, Batis minor
- Western Black-headed BatisWestern Black-headed BatisThe Western Black-headed Batis is a subspecies of bird in the Platysteiridae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, western Kenya, Rwanda, northern Somalia, Sudan, western...
, Batis erlangeri - Pygmy BatisPygmy BatisThe pygmy batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is dry savanna....
, Batis perkeo - Verreaux's Batis, Batis minima
- Ituri BatisIturi BatisThe Ituri Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Batis ituriensis - Fernando Po BatisFernando Po BatisThe Fernando Po Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is endemic to Equatorial Guinea.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
, Batis poensis - West African BatisWest African BatisThe West African Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone....
, Batis occulta - Angola BatisAngola BatisThe Angola Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
, Batis minulla