Bioko Batis
Batis poensis
The only batis on Bioko. Patterned like a typical batis, with a white belly and throat, black wings with a white bar, and a black face. Males have a black crown, a black back, and a black chest band, whereas females have a gray crown, a gray back, and a rusty chest band. Both sexes have limited white above the eye that can appear like a broken eyeline. Infrequently encountered but widespread from lowland forest to mid-montane forest, where it can be seen in forest and disturbed forest, including plantations. Songs include a series of high-pitched whistled notes, and a few harsh notes followed by a fast trill that descends slightly in pitch.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Batis poensis
- Authority
- Alexander, 1903
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Genus
- Batis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds

Spotted Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus erythropygius
Medium to large woodcreeper of humid evergreen and pine-evergreen forest in highlands and foothills. Feeds at all levels on trunks and larger branches, often at bromeliads. Straightish and rather stout bill is dark above and pale below. Note the pale buff spectacles and distinct pale spotting and scalloping on head, breast, and back (populations south of western Honduras lack spotting on back.)

Chestnut Piculet
Picumnus cinnamomeus
A distinctive mostly unmarked, brownish-red piculet with black crown spotted white or yellow and creamy forehead. Unique in range, where the only mostly brown piculet. Uncommon to fairly common in dry areas with scrub, forest, and mangrove edges; also locally in humid forest borders. Found singly, in pairs, or small groups foraging in vine tangles in understory. Voice is a high-pitched trill “i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’I” and a series of 3-6 high-pitched whistled notes.

Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides
Large brownish honeyeater with bare black facial skin and a long, pointed, black bill topped by a small rounded "horn". Uniformly gray-brown with upperparts a darker shade than the underparts. Care should be taken to distinguish it from Silver-crowned Friarbird (which has an angular edge to the upper rear portion of the black facial skin, as well as a slightly larger "horn" on the bill). Also similar is the Noisy Friarbird (which has a completely bare head). Found along the tropical Queensland and Northern Territory coasts—where it can be common in a variety of habitats including parks, gardens, mangroves, and forests. The "Sandstone" subspecies in Arnhem Land is quite different in habitat; it occurs in inland sandstone areas. Typically very loud, with has a variety of harsh, loud squawks, including the "poor devil" call.
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