Chinspot batis
| Chinspot batis | |
|---|---|
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| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Platysteiridae |
| Genus: | Batis |
| Species: | B. molitor |
| Binomial name | |
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Batis molitor Küster, 1850 |
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The chinspot batis (Batis molitor) is a small songbird of the genus Batis in the family Platysteiridae which is a common and widespread species in the woodlands of southern Africa from the Eastern Cape north to 3°N in southern Kenya and Gabon. It forms a superspecies with other rather similar members of the genus Batis.
The chinspot batis is a rather dumpy bird 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) in length. It has a black mask on its face, with a short white eyestripe, a grey cap and a white throat. The upperparts are grey with a prominent white wingstripe. The eyes are yellow while the legs and bill are black. The underparts are white with a black breast band in the males, the female has a chestnut breast band and a chestnut spot on the throat. Young birds are similar to females but the breast band and spot on the throat are tawny.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The chinspot batis is not normally sociable and is usually encountered singly or in pairs. It is a very active bird, moving its head in a constant search for prey, while it flicks its tail and wings, jerks its body and cocks its head. In the austral winter and early spring often forms "parliaments", which are congregations of up to ten birds, often consisting of birds of one sex. The birds in these parliaments display by flicking their wings to make a noise known as "wing-fripping" and call at each other and very often actually engage in fights between birds. Chinspot batises are territorial throughout the year, defending an area of around 5 hectares (12 acres) which the male advertises with a descending three note whistle from a prominent perch, the female may join the mail in a duet. This call is made in a head up posture, exposing the conspicuous white throat. In higher intensity territorial displays the male flies around in short circular flights above the canopy in a jerking, jinky flight with his rump fluffed out, his head held up and making frog like calls, whistling and fripping his wings. They are aggressive towards potential predators, especially owls and Laniarius bush-shrikes.
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Wikipedia