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Pale Batis Batis soror 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

10·5–11·5 cm; 8–13·1 g. Small flycatcher-like and shrike-like bird with contrasting black, grey and white (and some rufous) colours. Male has grey crown, darker at nape, well-developed white superciliary, white spot on neck, black mask from lores to nape side; mantle grey, back and rump spotted whitish; white wingstripe; tail black, outermost rectrix bordered and tipped white; white below, rather narrow black breastband, thighs grey, underwing-coverts white; iris lemon-yellow; bill and legs black. Distinguished from B. molitor by e.g. narrower breastband. Female differs from male in having rufous spot on chin and upper throat (can be rather diffuse, sometimes almost lacking), breastband pale rufous. Immature is as female, but rufous on neck, loral stripe and wingstripe, and breastband more tawny-coloured.

Systematics History

Formerly regarded as a race of B. molitor, which it replaces geographically in E African lowlands (although apparently some range overlap in SE Tanzania). Proposed races littoralis (Zanzibar) and pallidigula (Mozambique) considered untenable. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Coastal Kenya, E & SE Tanzania (including Zanzibar I and Mafia I), Mozambique (S to S of R Save), SE Malawi, and eastward-facing slopes of mountains in E Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Woodland in coastal lowlands, but on Zanzibar inhabits bushland and open cultivated country. Also, ascends to 1550 m in Zimbabwe, where it occurs in miombo woodland, to 1100 m in Kenya, and to 1300 m in E Usambara Mts (Tanzania), where it occurs in forest.

Movement

Resident. Some seasonal altitudinal movement suspected in E Zimbabwe.

Diet and Foraging

Diet insects. Forages mostly in middle levels or canopy, by flycatching or hover-gleaning.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Long piping 3-note “pook pook pook” delivered mournfully, repeated at constant rate up to 12 times, this a good character to separate it from B. molitor. Sings in duet, female has louder and harder “pik pik pik”. Song alternated with “prrt” wing sound.

Breeding

Season varies with region: Jan, Mar and May in E Africa, Aug–Jan on Zanzibar, Sept–Oct in Malawi, and mostly Oct–Jan in S of range. Probably territorial. Occurs in pairs, but before breeding season gathers in single-sex groups; possibly a helper recorded near nest. Nest a cup made of plant material and bark, bound with spider web and decorated with lichen, placed 4–15 m up in fork of tree. Clutch 2–3 eggs; eggs pale blue speckled with grey blotches and red-brown dots concentrated towards the large end, measuring 16·2 mm × 2·4 mm on average (1). No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally common. Fairly common in Kenyan part of range, including Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve. Fairly common on Zanzibar and in S part of range. In Malawi only locally common. Generally inconspicuous, because it remains in treetops. No apparent threats.

Distribution of the Pale Batis - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Pale Batis

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Louette, M. (2020). Pale Batis (Batis soror), 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.palbat1.01
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