Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Dark Batis

Batis crypta

The dark batis, a diminutive avian species, measures approximately 10 cm in length and tips the scales at a modest 10 to 15 grams. Exhibiting sexual dimorphism, the male is adorned with a stark black breastband contrasting its white underparts, while its upperparts are cloaked in a dark grey, interspersed with black-tipped feathers. A black face-mask and wings, highlighted by a white stripe, complete its attire. The female, on the other hand, sports a greyish crown and a brownish back, with a dark mask and a subtle white supercilium. Her wings are marked by a narrow rufous stripe, and her underparts feature a rufous chin-spot and breast, with whitish feather tips lending a speckled appearance.

Identification Tips

To distinguish the dark batis from its close relative, the forest batis, observe the tail length; the dark batis has a marginally longer tail. Male dark batises lack the white supercilium present in forest batises and have a broader breastband. Female dark batises can be recognized by their rufous chin and breast, as opposed to the paler, more mottled breast of female forest batises, which also display a conspicuous white supercilium and a broader rufous wing-stripe.

Habitat

The dark batis is a denizen of the evergreen forests, flourishing at altitudes ranging from 540 to 2,140 meters above sea level, with a preference for elevations around 1,500 meters.

Distribution

This species is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of East Africa, with its range extending from the Ukaguru and Uluguru Mountains in central Tanzania to the Misuku Hills in northern Malawi and the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique.

Behaviour

The dark batis is an active forager, predominantly scouring the lower and middle strata of the forest canopy in pursuit of its insect prey.

Song & Calls

The vocal repertoire of the dark batis includes a medley of whistling and harsh churring calls. In flight, its wings produce a distinctive whirring sound. The male serenades with a sequence of short, low whistles.

Diet and Feeding

Insects, particularly termites, comprise the bulk of the dark batis's diet, which it adeptly captures amidst the foliage.

Conservation Status

The dark batis is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population without significant immediate threats to its survival.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

More Wattle-eyes, Batises

A photo of a Cape Batis (Batis capensis) , male

Cape Batis

Batis capensis
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.