Boulton's Batis
Batis margaritae
A cute, dumpy flycatcher-like bird with a black chest band and white throat. Sexes differ: male has a golden eye and white wing-bar; distinctive female has a reddish-brown eye and chestnut wing bar. Pairs hunt for insects, sometimes joining flocks, in montane, riverine and dry forest, and dense thickets. Male Chinspot Batis looks almost identical to male Boulton’s, but Chinspot prefers savanna habitat and calls differently. Calls a hollow melodious “wooooe” whistle once a second, and repeated 10–20 times, as well as typical batis churring and croaking.
Identification
Margaret's batis is a small, mainly black and white shrike-like bird with a black face mask and reddish eye, in a mainly dark grey head. They have white underparts with a broad black breast band in both sexes, with black wings which are marked in the male with a white wing stripe while the female has a rufous wing stripe. The tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Juveniles resemble the females but are duller and have brown eye. The bill and legs are black. They measure 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) in length and weigh 11.5–15.5 g (0.41–0.55 oz).<p>Margaret's batis is known to make various whistles and churring calls. The territorial call is a repeated, soft, thin "hoo-hoo-hoo-hooit-hooit-hooit" which varies in length. The female and male duet with a tweeting call.
Taxonomy
Margaret's batis was described by the American zoologist Wolfrid Rudyerd Boulton in 1934. The binomial and common names honour the American historian and novelist Margaret Leech (1893-1974).<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Batis margaritae
- Authority
- Boulton, 1934
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Genus
- Batis
Range and habitat
Margaret's batis occurs mostly in forests dominated by Cryptosepalum spp but also occurs in other types of dry evergreen forest, riverine forest and secondary scrub growth. It is usually found in pairs and it is thought that its social behaviour is similar to that of other batises. It forages in trees and is not as restless as many of its congeners when foraging, often staying still for up to a minute. It joins mixed foraging flocks, often in the company of chinspot batises. In Zambia there appear to be local movements out of Cryptosepalum forest during the November to April rainy season.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant
Myiornis ecaudatus
Tiny stump-tailed flycatcher; one of the smallest birds on earth. Minute size and compact body give it a unique appearance, in some ways looking more like a bumblebee than a bird. Whitish underparts with green back, gray head, and white spectacles. Found in mature and secondary rainforest, especially in areas with tall trees. Usually perches in the rainforest midstory and can be tricky to spot. Its song is a soft pair of short trilled notes “trrr-trrr,” sounding rather insectlike.
Urubamba Antpitta
Grallaria occabambae
Plump, mostly terrestrial bird with long legs and a short tail found at high elevations in the eastern Andes of southern Peru. Plumage is mostly chestnut brown but is slightly paler on the belly. Similar to Leymebamba Antpitta, but larger, longer legged, and lacks gray in the plumage. The white eyering helps to separate it from Ayacucho Antpitta. Voice is also very helpful for ID; depending on location, it gives either three quick whistles with a pause after the first, or just two whistles. Also sometimes sings a longer, decelerating series of around ten notes. Usually stays well-hidden on or near the forest floor. Formerly considered a subspecies of what used to be called Rufous Antpitta.
Rusty-backed Spinetail
Cranioleuca vulpina
A small long-tailed bird found in gallery forests near water, mostly foraging in the understory. Rusty above and pale below with a white eyebrow. Similar to Yellow-chinned Spinetail, but has a pale (not black) lower mandible. The song, usually given as a duet, is a series of high-pitched notes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.