Biology:Batis (bird)

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Short description: Genus of birds


Batis
Woodwards Batis (Batis fratrum).jpg
Woodwards's batis, Batis fratrum
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Platysteiridae
Genus: Batis
F. Boie, 1833
Type species
Muscicapa capensis[1]
Linnaeus, 1766
Species

See text

Batis (pronounced BAT-iss) 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.

Taxonomy

The genus Batis was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1833.[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the Cape batis.[3] The name of the genus is from the Ancient Greek batis, batidos, an unidentified worm-eating bird mentioned by Aristotle.[4]

The genus contains 21 species.[5][6]

  • Rwenzori batis, Batis diops
  • Margaret's batis, Batis margaritae
  • Forest batis, Batis mixta
  • Reichenow's batis, Batis reichenowi
  • Dark batis, Batis crypta
  • Cape batis, Batis capensis
  • Malawi batis, Batis dimorpha
  • Woodwards's batis, Batis fratrum
  • Chinspot batis, Batis molitor
  • Senegal batis, Batis senegalensis
  • Grey-headed batis, Batis orientalis
  • Pale batis, Batis soror
  • Pririt batis, Batis pririt
  • Eastern black-headed batis, Batis minor
  • Western black-headed batis, Batis erlangeri
  • Pygmy batis, Batis perkeo
  • Angola batis, Batis minulla
  • Gabon batis, Batis minima
  • Ituri batis, Batis ituriensis
  • West African batis, Batis occulta
  • Fernando Po batis, Batis poensis

References

  1. "Platysteiridae". The Trust for Avian Systematics. https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=130. 
  2. Boie, Friedrich (1833). "Fernere Vemertungen über Classification der Vögel" (in German). Isis von Oken 26: Col 876-884 [880]. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13243574. 
  3. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 378. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14484079. 
  4. Jobling, J.A. (2018). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". in del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. et al.. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/definition/batis. Retrieved 24 June 2018. 
  5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds (2018). "Batises, woodshrikes, bushshrikes, vangas". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/batises/. Retrieved 21 June 2018. 
  6. "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List" (in en-US). https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/species-updates/. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3291163 entry