Malawi Batis
Batis dimorpha
A cute, dumpy, colorful flycatcher-like bird that flits around in the mid-canopy and understory of forest, forest edge, plantations, and gardens. Males have a broad black chest band, yellow-orange eye, white stripe through the top of the wing, and white throat. Females have an orange eye, buff-and-white stripe through the top of the wing, and rufous chin patch. The song is a series of 8-9 plaintive steady piping “peooop” notes, and calls include buzzing grating “ddrz-drrzt-drrr, ddt-ddzt-drzt-drr”. Female Dark Batis is distinguished by its darker (rich rufous rather than white and buff) wing stripe. Male Dark Batis is very similar, but has a slightly longer tail and broader black breast stripe. Also similar to Chinspot Batis, but has darker orange color to the eyes, and female Malawi Batis shows paler rufous on the throat and buff tinges to the wing stripe.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Batis dimorpha
- Authority
- (Shelley, 1893)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Genus
- Batis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Australasian Grass-Owl
Tyto longimembris
Reclusive and rarely seen owl of cane fields, meadows, and other areas with tall grassy cover. Tan-brown overall with black, white, and orange mottling on the wings. Flies low over grassy areas, primarily during dawn and dusk, often with long legs dangling. Heart-shaped facial disk, very similar to Barn Owl and Masked Owls. Nests in dense fields; fluffy owlets often exposed during harvesting season in agricultural areas.
Tufted Antshrike
Mackenziaena severa
Medium-sized antshrike, with a long tail and a crest. Found in the understory and middle levels of humid forests with dense vine tangles or bamboo and in second growth areas. Usually found in pairs, but can be very hard to see. Males are all dark-gray whereas females have a cinnamon crest and bars on the rest of the body. The song is a loud and clear series of whistles “phiu phiu phiu phiu phiu.”
Dull-capped Attila
Attila bolivianus
Big-headed flycatcher of humid rainforest midstory. Rich red-brown with a slightly grayer head and pale eye. Perches with upright posture and appears rather stocky, with a short tail, large head, and heavy bill. Pale eye and fairly dark plumage help distinguish it from other attilas, as does voice. Listen for a rising series of whistles, usually finished with a lower note: “weer, weer, weer, weer, woo”; sounds melancholy, without the upbeat, double-syllable note phrasing of Bright-rumped Attila.
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