West African Batis
Batis occulta
A classically patterned batis of forest, forest edges, villages, and towns in tropical lowlands and foothills. Males have white underparts bisected by a black chest band, mostly black upperparts with a broken white eye-line, white on the nape, scalloped white and gray on the back, and a white wingbar that extends to the tip of the wings in the secondary flight feathers. The female is similar but has less of an eyebrow, a grayer crown and back, and a reddish chest band. Overlaps with several other batis species, but note West African Batis’s combination of broken eyebrow and neat chest band. Song is a high-pitched series of buzzy calls and trills interspersed with whistles, often with the same whistled call being repeated at length.
Identification
The West African batis (Batis occulta) is a species of bird in the family Platysteiridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Fernando Po batis.
Taxonomy
Genus: Batis; Family: Platysteiridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Batis occulta
- Authority
- Lawson, 1984
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Genus
- Batis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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Spectacular, large, and often conspicuous jay of tropical lowland forests, plantations, and semiopen areas with hedges and tall trees; prefers drier areas, but locally in rather humid situations. Usually in small groups and can be surprisingly inconspicuous if feeding quietly. At other times, unavoidably noisy and impossible to overlook. No similar species in range. Note crest, white face and throat, and long white-edged tail.
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