Cape Batis

Overview

The Cape batis (Batis capensis) is a small, stout insect-eating passerine bird in the wattle-eye family. It is endemic to the Afromontane forests of southern Africa and is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adult males have a grey crown, black eye mask, and white throat, with brown backs, black rumps and tails, and rufous wings.
• Underparts are white with a broad black breast band and rufous flanks; females and juveniles have a narrower rufous breast band and a small rufous throat patch.
• Rufous wings and flanks distinguish them from other Batis species in the region.
• The song is typically a triple whistle, described as cherra-warra-warra or foo-foo-foo.

Habitat

The species is resident in cool coastal forests, moist evergreen mountain forests, and wooded gorges. Its range includes South Africa, Eswatini, the Matobos and Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, and adjacent Mozambique.

Diet

The Cape batis is an insect-eating bird that hunts by flycatching or by taking prey from the ground like a shrike.

Did you know?

Both the male and female aggressively defend their territory, often perching conspicuously near intruders and protesting audibly when larger birds of prey, animals, or humans approach.