The dark batis is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Batis in the wattle-eye family, Platysteiridae. It is found in highland forest in south-west Tanzania, northern Malawi, and northern Mozambique. These birds were formerly thought to be forest batises but in 2006 were described as a new species based on differences in morphology and mitochondrial DNA from those birds in northern Tanzania and Kenya.
Region
Eastern Africa highlands (Tanzania–Malawi–Mozambique)
Typical Environment
Occurs in highland evergreen and montane forest, including well-developed secondary growth and forest edges. It favors mid-elevation belts with a dense understory and a closed canopy, often along ridges and moist gullies. The species also uses forest patches within an agricultural mosaic where tall trees and thickets remain. It is patchy but can be locally common where intact habitat persists.
Altitude Range
900–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The dark batis is a small, active flycatcher-like bird of East Africa’s montane forests that was split from the forest batis in 2006 based on morphology and mitochondrial DNA. It typically forages in the midstory, making short sallies to snatch insects from foliage and the air. Pairs maintain territories year-round and give a distinctive series of thin, whistled notes that carry through dense forest.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies between perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs that defend year-round territories. During breeding, pairs build a neat, cup-shaped nest placed on a horizontal fork or suspended from a slender branch. Both sexes participate in care of the young, and they may join mixed-species flocks outside the peak breeding period.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of thin, high-pitched whistles, often given as see-see-see or a clear, accelerating sequence. Calls include sharp tsee notes and soft contact whistles used between mates.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed batis with dark slate-gray to blackish upperparts, clean white underparts, and a bold breast band. Males show a crisp black breast band; females often have a warmer, buffy to rufous-toned band. A distinct white wing panel and white edges in the tail are visible in perched birds and in flight. The face shows a pale supercilium contrasting with darker crown and mask.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including beetles, flies, moths and their larvae, spiders, and other insects. It hunts by sally-gleaning from exposed perches, picking prey from leaves and twigs or catching it on short aerial sorties. It occasionally takes prey from hanging dead leaves and may hover briefly to glean.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the midstory and lower canopy of montane forest, especially along edges, gaps, and light-filled glades. It also forages along forested streams and in secondary growth with scattered tall trees.
