Photo: Nigel Voaden from UK / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Margaret’s Batis
Batis margaritae
Margaret's Batis (Batis margaritae) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Margaret’s Batis (Batis margaritae) is a member of the Platysteiridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 11.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Platysteiridae Wattle-eyes, Batises
- Genus Batis
- Species margaritae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Margaret’s Batis is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Margaret’s Batis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Margaret’s Batis (Batis margaritae) is a member of the Platysteiridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sc.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.5 cm and a tail of around 4.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 104,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Margaret’s Batis?
The Margaret’s Batis is a very small bird that weighs around 11.7 g.
Where does the Margaret’s Batis live?
The Margaret’s Batis is found across Africa with a range covering AF sc, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Margaret’s Batis belong to?
The Margaret’s Batis (Batis margaritae) belongs to the Platysteiridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Margaret’s Batis eat?
The Margaret’s Batis is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Margaret’s Batis migrate?
The Margaret’s Batis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Margaret’s Batis endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Margaret’s Batis make?
1 real field recording of the Margaret’s Batis — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Margaret’s Batis's range?
The Margaret’s Batis has a mapped global range of about 104,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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