Grey-headed Batis (Batis orientalis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Grey-headed Batis

Batis orientalis (Heuglin, 1870)

10–11 cmLength11 gWeight

The grey-headed batis (Batis orientalis) is a species of bird in the wattle-eyes family, Platysteiridae, it was previously classified with the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Grey-headed Batis has been recorded at 27 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Awash NP – southern sectionEthiopia96 records
  2. Doho LodgeEthiopia75 records
  3. Awash NPEthiopia74 records
More places
  1. Awash NP – Lodge and FallsEthiopia33 records
  2. Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia33 records
  3. Aledeghi Wildlife ReserveEthiopia30 records
  4. Lake Langano – Simbo LodgeEthiopia30 records
  5. Wondo GenetEthiopia24 records
  6. Hara Langano LodgeEthiopia21 records
  7. Melka GhebduEthiopia17 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EthiopiaSomaliaUgandaChadEritreaCameroonDjibouti

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The grey-headed batis (Batis orientalis) is a species of bird in the wattle-eyes family, Platysteiridae, it was previously classified with the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in eastern and central Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Grey-headed Batis?

The Grey-headed Batis is about 10–11 cm long and weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Grey-headed Batis live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central, northeastern. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda.

When is the best time to see the Grey-headed Batis?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Grey-headed Batis endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Grey-headed Batis as Least Concern.

What does the Grey-headed Batis eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Grey-headed Batis in?

It belongs to the family Wattle-eyes, Batises (Platysteiridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
10–11 cm
Weight
11 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
57 mm
Tail
40 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
17 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: central, northeastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Wattle-eyes, Batises Platysteiridae
Genus
Batis

Other birds in the genus Batis

Rwenzori BatisRwenzori BatisBatis diopsMargaret's BatisMargaret's BatisBatis margaritaeForest BatisForest BatisBatis mixtaDark BatisDark BatisBatis cryptaMalawi BatisMalawi BatisBatis dimorphaCape BatisCape BatisBatis capensisWoodwards' BatisWoodwards' BatisBatis fratrumChinspot BatisChinspot BatisBatis molitorSenegal BatisSenegal BatisBatis senegalensisPale BatisPale BatisBatis sororPririt BatisPririt BatisBatis priritEastern Black-headed BatisEastern Black-headed BatisBatis minor
Grey-headed Batis

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Robin Fjellström. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages