About the Senegal Batis
The Senegal batis is a species of small passerine bird in the wattle-eyes family, Platysteiridae. It occurs in western Africa where it is found in dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It was originally given the binomial name Muscicapa senegalensis by Carl Linnaeus in 1766.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The Senegal batis is a restless flycatcher-like small bird with the distinctive black, white and grey colours and plumage patterns which are typical of the batises. The adult male has a dark slate grey forehead and crown with a long, broad white supercilium which almost reaches the white nape patch. The face mask is glossy bluish-black. The mantle and upper back are slate grey tinged with brown, the lower back and rump are mottled grey, white and black. The feathers on the rump are long and this gives the rump a fluffy appearance, contrasting with the glossy blue-back uppertail coverts. Voice: The main call of the Senegal batis is a series of medium pitched double and triple note whistles which do not vary in pitch and are frequently introduced with buzzy notes.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in February · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Pale BatisBatis sororThe pale batis is an active, black, white and grey bird which is pale grey above with a black face mask bordered by a thin white supercilium, yellow eye and a pale grey back, mottled with faint white spots.
Pygmy BatisBatis perkeoThe pygmy batis, as its name suggests, is a tiny, rather dumpy but dapper black, white and grey bird with similarities to the flycatchers.
Western Black-headed BatisBatis erlangeriThe western black-headed batis or Von Erlanger's batis, is a species of passerine bird in the wattle-eye family Platysteiridae.
Learn the Senegal Batis for real
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