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Platysteiridae
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Rwenzori Batis Batis diops Scientific name definitions

Michel Louette
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

11–12 cm; 8–15·5 g. Small flycatcher-like and shrike-like bird with contrasting black, grey and white colours. Male is dark grey above, with glossy bluish-black marks on crown, ear region and mantle, white spot on side of forehead, white wingstripe; tail black with white edges and tips; chin black, white on throat extending towards neck side, glossy black breastband, rest of underparts white, tibia feathers black; iris yellow with dark maroon outer ring; bill and legs black. Female differs from male only in having iris red or orange. Immature is duller in general colour, spotted with buffish-brown on head, mantle and breastband, iris initially brown.

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Albertine Rift in E DRCongo (Rwenzori Mts S to Mt Kabobo), extreme W Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Habitat

Inhabits montane evergreen forest; most abundant in bamboo forest, but accepts mixed forest and scrub. In Rwanda and in Rwenzori Mts especially in low closed forest. Altitudinal range 1340–3300 m, with median of 1910 m in Itombwe Mts; in Rwenzori recorded at 2075–2700 m; 1600–2600 m in Uganda.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Diet insects: mainly beetles (Coleoptera) recorded, once a caterpillar of 50 mm, also other lepidopterans, and flies (Diptera). Keeps in the shade, preferably in low and middle strata of vegetation 2–6 m above ground. Hops about, snatching insects from bark and underside of leaves; also takes prey in air during short flights.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Series of simple whistles, repeated at intervals of 2 seconds or more; low ventriloquial whistle also reported.

Breeding

Birds with brood patch in Aug and Oct, female in Nov had recently laid, and juveniles found in all months except Feb; probably prolonged breeding season. Territorial. No published information on nest, eggs and young.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Albertine Rift Mountains EBA. Locally quite common, e.g. density recorded of 2–3 pairs/10 ha in optimum habitat. Common at 2100 m on W flank of Rwenzori; equally common on E flank and also in Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest National Park, in Uganda. Possibly at some risk because of its restricted distribution.
Distribution of the Rwenzori Batis - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Rwenzori Batis

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Louette, M. (2020). Rwenzori Batis (Batis diops), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.ruwbat1.01
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