The dark batis (Batis crypta) 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, northern Malawi, and northern Mozambique. These birds were formerly thought to be forest batises (B. mixta) but in 2006 were described as a new species based on differences in morphology and mitochondrial DNA from those birds in northern Tanzania and Kenya.
| Dark batis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Platysteiridae |
| Genus: | Batis |
| Species: | B. crypta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Batis crypta | |
Description edit
The dark batis is about 10 cm (3.9 in) in length and weighs 10–15 g (0.35–0.53 oz). It has a dark bill and legs and red eyes. The male is white below with a broad black breastband. Above it has a dark grey crown, grey back with some black feather-tips, a black face-mask and black wings with a white stripe. The female has a greyish crown, brownish back, dark mask, slight white supercilium and a narrow rufous stripe on the wing. Below it has a rufous chin-spot and breast with whitish tips to some of the feathers.[2]
The forest batis has a slightly shorter tail. Males of the two species are very similar but forest batises have a narrower breastband and usually some hint of a white supercilium which is lacking in the male dark batis. The females are more distinctive: female forest batises have a paler breast and chin with more white tips giving a mottled appearance. There is a conspicuous white supercilium and a broad rufous wing-stripe.[2]
The dark batis has a variety of whistling and harsh churring calls and its wings make a whirring sound in flight. The male's song is a series of short, low whistles.[2]
Distribution and habitat edit
It is found in the Eastern Arc Mountains of East Africa from the Ukaguru Mountains and Uluguru Mountains of central Tanzania south-westwards as far as the Misuku Hills in northernmost Malawi and the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique.[3][4]
It inhabits evergreen forest from 540 to 2,140 metres (1,770 to 7,020 ft) above sea-level and is most common around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It forages mainly in the lower and middle levels of trees, feeding on insects such as termites.[5]
References edit
- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Batis crypta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22734421A118746565. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22734421A118746565.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Fjeldså, Jon; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Kiure, Jacob (2006). "The forest batis, Batis mixta, is two species: description of a new, narrowly distributed Batis species in the Eastern Arc biodiversity hotspot" (PDF). Journal of Ornithology. 147 (4): 578–590. doi:10.1007/s10336-006-0082-4. S2CID 31793603. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ Louette, Michel (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Dark Batis (Batis crypta)". Handbook of Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. doi:10.2173/bow.darbat1.01. S2CID 216365153. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
- ^ Samuel EI Jones, Gabriel A Jamie, Emidio Sumbane & Merlijn Jocque (2020) The avifauna, conservation and biogeography of the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique, with a review of the country’s Afromontane birdlife, Ostrich, 91:1, 45-56, DOI: 10.2989/00306525.2019.1675795
- ^ Harris, Tony; Franklin, Kim (2000). Shrikes and Bush-shrikes. Christopher Helm. pp. 300–301. ISBN 0-7136-3861-3.
- BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Batis crypta.[permanent dead link] Accessed 26 May 2008.
External links edit
- Distribution map
- Tanzania Bird Atlas:
- Photograph of a male Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Photograph of a female Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
