Africa Wild Bird Book

[Michele Nel]

700. Cape Batis Batis capensis (Kaapse Bosbontrokkie)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Platysteiridae

Description
13 cm. The Cape Batis is the most heavily marked batis.
Adult male: Forehead, crown, nape and hind neck grey. Black face mask extends from lores, above and below eyes, across ear coverts to nape. Mantle, scapulars, back, rump and upper tail coverts reddish olive-brown. Tail black, outermost rectrices with white outer webs and tips, T2-T5 narrowly tipped white. Primaries and secondaries blackish, narrowly edged white; tertials blackish, with broad rufous edges. Greater and median primary coverts blackish. Outer greater coverts dark grey, inners rufous. Median coverts rufous, lesser coverts dark grey. Underside of wings dark grey. Chin, throat and sides of neck white, breast with broad black band, belly white. Flanks russet to chestnut, thighs blackish. Undertail coverts and vent white; undertail dark grey. Bill black. Eyes lemon yellow to yellowish orange. Legs and feet black.
Male is the only batis in the region with completely russet-washed wings and flanks.
The female and juvenile plumages differ in that the breast band is narrower and rufous, not black, and there is a small rufous patch on the throat. The female might be mistaken for the Chinspot Batis but has the russet breast band extending down the sides of the breast and over the flanks.

Distribution
Occurs from Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi to southern Africa. Here it is locally common in eastern Zimbabwe bordering on Mozambique, south-central Zimbabwe, Limpopo Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.



Habitat
Highly adaptable, it occupies a wide range of habitats, such as Afromontane and Evergreen forest, closed woodland, valley bushveld, Acacia woodland along watercourses, plantations, orchards and gardens.

Diet
It eats a variety of insect prey, doing most of its foraging in the lower branches of trees or bushes, gleaning prey from leaves or bark.

Breeding
Both sexes construct the nest, which is a small, thickly-walled cup, made of dry plant material bound together by spider web, lined with fine plant detritus or hair. It is usually placed on a horizontal branch of small shrub, about 1-9, usually 3 m above ground. Nests aren't usually concealed by vegetation, but they are often difficult to find due to very dark lighting conditions. Egg-laying season is from August-January, peaking from October-December. It lays 1-3 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female, for about 17-21 days with the male bringing her food. The chicks are mainly brooded by the female, who feeds them and herself with food provided by the male. They are brooded and fed at greater intervals as they get older, until eventually they leave the nest at about 16 days old.
Host of Klaas's Cuckoo.

Call
Most common call 3-note whew-whew-whew, also 'stone rubbing' sounds. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common endemic resident.


Male

[Michele Nel]

700. Cape Batis Batis capensis (Kaapse Bosbontrokkie)


Female, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town


Female, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town


Male, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town


Juvenile, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2

[Dewi]

701. Chinspot Batis Batis molitor (Witliesbosbontrokkie)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Platysteiridae

Chinspot Batis Batis molitor.jpg (49.53 KiB) Viewed 1110 times

Description
Size 13 cm. A small, black and white bird with grey cap and back. Both sexes have grey upperparts; black and white wingbars; wide black eye-stripes and white eyebrows. Bills, legs and feet are black; eyes are yellow.
Adult male: Crown and nape grey. Lores black, extending in patch around eyes and across ear coverts to hind neck; separated from forecrown by white supercilium extending to above eye. Mantle, back and scapulars bluish grey, mantle edged black; rump and upper tail coverts grey. Tail black, outermost rectrices edged white on outer web, tipped white on inner web. Wings black. Median and inner greater coverts broadly tipped white, combining with white edges to inner secondaries to form prominent wing bar. Underparts, incl throat and sides of neck, white, apart from broad, but variable-width black breast band. Bill black. Eyes yellow, orange or scarlet. Legs and feet black.
Females have a rufous breast band and have a chestnut-coloured chinspot that gives the species its name.
Juvenile is similar to female but upperparts are mottled buff.
Similar species: Male Pririt Batis has flanks with blackish speckling (not plain white). Male Pale Batis has longer supercilium, and back mottled whitish (not plain). Much smaller female Pale Batis has throat spot poorly defined. Female Cape Batis has rufous (not white) wing bar.

Distribution
Across Africa south of the Sahel, from Angola and the DRC to southern Africa. Here it is prolific, occurring in large areas of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, north-central Namibia, Limpopo Province, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.



Habitat
Thornveld and dry wooded areas.

Diet
The Chinspot Batis is insectivorous and feeds mainly on insects and spiders that it gleans from the surface of leaves, but it may fly forth from its perch and hawk insects from the air.

Breeding
The Chinspot Batis is monogamous. Both sexes build the nest, which is a small cup made of shredded plant material such as grass stems and bark, bound together with strands of spider web. It is usually placed on a tree branch, often between the stems of a fork. Egg-laying season is from August-February, peaking from about September-December. The female lays a small clutch of two or three heavily blotched eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 16-18 days. The female sometimes leaves the nest to forage, but most of her food is brought to her by the male. The chicks are cared for by both parents, leaving the nest at about 16-18 days old, becoming independent about 6-14 weeks later.
May be parasitised by Klaas's Cuckoo.

Call
The call of the Chinspot Batis consists of three clear descending notes that are often represented as Three blind mice or weep-woop-wurp; also gives 'stone rubbing' sounds. Listen to Bird Call

Status
Very common resident, sedentary and usually in pairs.

[Dewi]

701. Chinspot Batis Batis molitor

© Pumbaa
Male, Kruger National Park, Satara area, Feb 2019

© Dewi
Female

© Flutterby
Female

© BluTuna
Female, Kruger National Park

© Flutterby
Male

© Bushcraft
Male, iMfolozi, Mpila camp

© Pumbaa
Male, Kruger National Park

© BluTuna
Juvenile, Marakele National Park

[Michele Nel]

703. Pririt Batis Batis pririt (Priritbosbontrokkie)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Platysteiridae


Female

Description
The Pririt Batis is strikingly patterned.
Adult male: Forehead, crown and nape dark grey, bordered by long, narrow, well-defined white supercilium. Black mask extends from lores through cheeks and ear coverts to sides of neck. Hind neck to upper tail coverts grey. Tail black, outermost rectrices with white outer webs and tips; remainder, except innermost pair, with narrow white tips. Primary coverts and alula black; greater coverts black, except for 2 near centre, which are broadly fringed white. Median coverts white, lesser coverts black. Primaries and secondaries black, with narrow white edges; tertials black, with broad white edges; together with coverts, form distinct wing bar. Underwing coverts and axillaries white, undersides of flight feathers dark grey. Chin to undertail coverts white, except for ca 10-14 mm wide, glossy black breast band. Thighs grey, flanks with some indistinct grey flecks or bars. Bill and inside of mouth black. Eyes pale yellow to ivory. Legs and feet black.
Adult female: Upper parts as male, but crown with olivaceous tinge; supercilium less distinct. Chin, throat, lower sides of neck, and breast pale orange, shading to white on belly and greyish white on flanks.
Immature: As female, but buffy orange breast mottled black, becoming black (male) or buffy orange (female).
Juvenile: Duller than ad, spotted black and buff on head, head mask brownish black. Wing coverts tipped buff. Underparts dull white, mottled black and buffy ochre on breast (both sexes).
Similar species: Male Chinspot Batis has flanks plain white (not flecked or barred grey) and slightly darker crown.

Distribution
Near endemic to southern Africa, with the bulk of its population in arid areas of the Western, Eastern and Northern Capes, Botswana and Namibia, marginally extending into Angola.



Habitat
It is most common in sem-arid woodand, especially Acacia thornveld but also jujube (Ziziphus), raisin (Grewia), shepherds-tree (Boscia) and cluster-leaf (Terminalia) woodlands. It also occurs along wooded watercourses in deserts and sem-deserts and also gardens in rural areas of the Karoo.

Food
It is insectivorous, doing most of its foraging in the lower canopy of woodlands, gleaning its prey from branches and leaves. It also joins mixed-species foraging flocks, especially in the cold winter months.

Breeding
The nest is built mainly by the female, and is a small, compact cup made of rootlets, grass and plant fibres, bound with strands of spider web. It is usually placed on a branch of a tree, often resting against a short vertical twig. Egg-laying season is from July-May. It lays 1-4 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 17 days, whilst the male provides her with food. The chicks are care for by both parents, leaving the nest after about 15-18 days, becoming fully independent up to 6 weeks later.
It has been recorded as host of the Klaas's Cuckoo.

Call
The song is typically a slow descending series of whistled notes, teuu, teuu, teuu, teuu. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common, near endemic resident.

[Michele Nel]

703. Pririt Batis Batis pririt

© Mel
Female, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Grootkolk

© Dindingwe
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park


Camdeboo


Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Biodiversity Explorer

[Michele Nel]

752. White-tailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatus (Kortstertlaksman)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Platysteiridae

White-tailed shrike.jpg (34.43 KiB) Viewed 1046 times

Description
It has a height of 15 cm and weighs around 26 g. Small black, white and grey bird with a very short tail and long legs. It has a black head with a white forehead. It has a grey mantle and waistcoat; a black breast band separates the white throat from the white under parts; wings are black with large white patches; the short tail is white. The eyes are yellow; bill is black; legs and feet are black.

Distribution
Near-endemic to northern and central Namibia, extending marginally into south-western Angola.

White-tailed shrike map.jpg (19.56 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

Habitat
Its habitat preferences vary from region to region, e.g. in in northern Namibia, it prefers Colosphermum mopane (Mopane) woodland. In west-central Namibia, it is most common in mixed Acacia, cluster-leafs (Terminalia) and bushwillow (Combretum) woodland.

Diet
It mainly eats large insects, doing most of its foraging at dawn or dusk, gleaning insects off leaves and branches and occasionally flying to the groud to pick up a prey item. It very rarely drinks or bathes in water, in fact even thought it has been studied and observed many times, there is only one recorded of it drinking water!

Breeding
White-tailed Shrikes are monogamous and they build a deep cup-shaped nest, usually from strips of bark interwoven with spider webs, usually placed in small thicket or bush about 2-3m above ground. Nests are usually constructed by both sexes. Egg-laying season is almost year round, usually peaking around November. It lays about 2 whitish-grey eggs which are incubated by both sexes, singing a duet whenever they change shifts. Eggs hatch after an incubation period of approximately 15 days.

Call
The call of the male White-tailed shrike is a loud pie-ouuww which may be repeated several times and which is often answered by the female calling a single tshrrr. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Fairly common, localised, near endemic resident.

[Michele Nel]

752. White-tailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatus (Kortstertlaksman)




Khomas Hochland Mts. Namibia.


Khomas Hochland Mts. Namibia.


Khomas Hochland Mts. Namibia.


Links:
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Biodiversity Explorer
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)

[mposthumus]

705. Black-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira peltata (Beloogbosbontrokkie)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Platysteiridae

Black-throated Wattle-eye.jpg (21.1 KiB) Viewed 1125 times

Description
Length 14 cm. Red eye-wattle over the eye (diagnostic and conspicuous in field). Similar to batises, but whole top of head black; no white eyebrow; back grey; tail black, edged and tipped white. Bill, legs and feet blackish.
Male: Green-black head, dark grey back, white chin, throat and belly, with black breast band; flanks greyish.
Female: Similar to the male, but the throat and upper breast are black; chin white.
Juvenile: Above grey; wing and tail brown; wing feathers edged rusty; throat and sides of breast mottled brown and buff; eye dull red. Fledgling: Barred brown and rufous above.

Distribution
Occurs from Angola to Kenya south to southern Africa, absent from the lowland forests of the DRC. In South Africa confined to extreme E littoral belt from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng lowveld, Mozambique and adjacent Zimbabwe; also up Limpopo Valley, probably as far as Tuli in Botswana.



Habitat
It usually occupies Afromontane and coastal forest, often near a river or stream with vegetation protruding into the water. It can also occur in farm gardens, stands of tall trees with dense undergrowth, dune forest and mangroves.

Diet
An extremely active insectivorous forager, it catches most of its prey in the air, although it occasionally gleans them from leaves and branches. It sometimes joins mixed species flocks, along with Spectacled Weavers, Red-throated Twinspots and Terrestrial Bulbuls.

Breeding
The female does most of the nest building work, making a cup out of fine twigs and grass bound together with spider web. It is usually placed in the fork of a bushy tree's branch, less often amongst the tangled leaves of a creeper. Egg-laying season is from about September-January, peaking from October-November. It typically lays 2 glossy grey-green eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 16-18 days; the male does all of the hunting. They are extremely aggressive to intruders at the nest, attacking other birds, snakes and even humans with their claws and beak. The chicks are are brooded by both sexes, although the female does most of the work. The female also forages in the area around the nest while the male hunts further afield, occasionally bringing food to her. The chicks leave the nest at about 14-16 days old, after which they learn to hunt. Even though they can fend for themselves, they still remain with their parents for about 6 months more.

Call
Quite variable geographically. Harsh jip-jip zik-keek, zik-keek, zik-keek; tinkling er-er-fee, er-er-fee-fu; harsh alarm note, chit-chit-chit like two bits of metal tapped together.

Status
Locally common resident.
Near-threatened in South Africa, largely due to habitat destruction. It is still well represented in protected areas however, especially the Kruger National Park, Mkuzi Game Reserve and Greater St Lucia Wetland Park

© mposthumus
Kruger National Park, Crook's Corner

[mposthumus]

705. Black-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira peltata

© Peter Connan
Female

© Peter Connan
Male, Maphelane, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal

© mposthumus

© mposthumus
Kruger National Park, Crook's Corner

© Michele Nel
Busanga Bush Camp, Kafue National Park, Zambia

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2