White-tailed shrike

Lanioturdus torquatus

Photo by Paul Bourdin (A Birder in the Philippines)

Common name:
white-tailed shrike (en); picanço-palrador (pt); lanielle à queue blanche (fr); laniotordo (es); drosselwürger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Platysteiridae

Range:
This African species is found in south-western Angola and in north-western and central Namibia.

Size:
These birds are 14-15 cm long and weigh 25-45 g.

Habitat:
The white-tailed shrike is mostly found in dry savannas, particularly mopane Colosphermum mopane, and mixed Acacia, cluster-leafs Terminalia and bushwillow Combretum woodlands. They also use dry savannas, rocky areas, and rivers and streams.

Diet:
They mainly hunt large insects, namely moths, butterflies and caterpillars, stick insects, ant lions, mantids, beetles, grasshoppers and termite alates, as well as spiders.

Breeding:
White-tailed shrikes can breed all year round, but with a peak in November-March. The nest is a shallow cup of woven twigs and rootlets, usually placed in scrub about 2-3 metres above ground. The female lays 2-3 pale green eggs with reddish-brown spots, which are incubated by both sexes for about 15 days. There is no available information regarding the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be expanding in the east of its range following desertification.

Cape batis

Batis capensis

(Photo from Bird Forum)

Common name:
Cape batis (en); batis-do-Cabo (pt); pririt du Cap (fr); batis de El Cabo (es); Kapschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Platysteiridae

Range:
This species is found from Tanzania south to Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, eastern Mozambique and eastern and southern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 12-15 cm long and weigh 13 g.

Habitat:
The Cape batis is found in a wide range of habitats, including evergreen forests, Acacia woodlands, bushveld scrublands, plantations, gardens and orchards. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.150 m.

Diet:
They glean various insects from the leaves and bark of trees and scrubs, namely beetles, caterpillars and flies.

Breeding:
The Cape batis breeds in August-January. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of
a small, thickly-walled cup, made of dry plant material bound together by spider webs, lined with fine plant detritus or hair. It is usually placed on a horizontal branch of small shrub, about 1-9 m above ground. The female lays 1-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 17-21 days while the male brings her food. The chicks are mainly brooded by the female and the male brings the food to the nest. They fledge 16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally common. The population is believed to be stable.

Chestnut wattle-eye

Platysteira castanea

Photo by David Greyo (Oiseaux)

Common name:
chestnut wattle-eye (en); olho-carunculado-castanho (pt); pririt châtain (fr); ojicarunculado castaño (es); weißbürzel-lappenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Platysteiridae

Range:
This African species is found from Guinea to South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, and through Gabon and D.R. Congo down to northern Angola.

Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 13-16 g.

Habitat:
The chestnut wattle-eye is found in moist forests and savannas, swamps and rural gardens, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects.

Breeding:
The chestnut wattle-eye is monogamous. They nest in a small cup, where the female lays 1-2 glossy blue-green eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone for 17 days. There is no information regarding the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be uncommon to abundant.
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-throated wattle-eye

Platysteira peltata

Photo by Guy Upfold (Tropical Birding)

Common name:

black-throated wattle-eye (en); olho-carunculado-de-garganta-preta (pt); pririt à gorge noire (fr); ojicarunculado de garganta negra (es); schwarzkehl-lappenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Platysteiridae

Range:

This African species occurs from Angola to Kenya and has scattered populations across Zimbabwe, Mozambique and into eastern South Africa.

Size:

The black-throated wattle-eye is 14 cm long and weighs 11-15 g.

Habitat:

They are found in both mountain and coastal forests, often near a river or stream with vegetation protruding into the water. They can also occur in farm gardens, stands of tall trees with dense undergrowth, dune forest and mangroves.

Diet:

These birds are insectivorous, catching most of their prey in the air, although they occasionally glean them from leaves and branches. They are known to take moths, caterpillars, flies, grasshoppers and crickets.

Breeding:

Black-throated wattle-eyes breed in September-January. The female builds the nest alone, a cup made of fine twigs and grass bound together with spider web. The nest is usually placed in a fork in a branch of a small tree or bush. There she lays 1-2 glossy grey-green eggs which she incubates alone for 16-18 days while the male aggressively defends the nest. The chicks are brooded and fed by both sexes, although the female does most of the work, and they fledge 14-16 days after hatching. The chicks remain with their parents for about 6 months more.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon to locally common. This population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Black-headed batis

Batis minor

(Photo from Adventure Camps of Tanzania)

Common name:
black-headed batis (en); papa-moscas-de-cabeça-preta (pt); pririt à joues noires (fr); batis carinegro (es); keniaschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Platysteiridae

Range:
An African species, the black-headed batis is present in sub-saharan Africa from Chad, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia in the north, down to Angola and Tanzania.

Size:
A small and stout passerine, the black-headed batis has a wingspan of 13-14 cm.

Habitat:
Typically found in sub-tropical or tropical dry forests. Also common in moist savanna and schrubland near lakes and rivers.

Diet:
The most important component of their diet are insect, although spiders, milipedes and scorpions may also be taken. Amongst the insect prey a number of different types are eaten, including beetles, grasshoppers and other Orthoptera, flies, mosquitoes, wasps, termites and mantises.

Breeding:
This species can be found nesting from May to August. They build a nest on the branches of a thorny bush or tree, often Acacia or Euphorbia. The clutch size if often 2 and both parents feed the chicks until fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The wide breeding range and their widespread abundance suggests no serious threats to this species at present.