The Pririt Batis is also known as the Pririt Puffback and is resident in Southern Africa and south-western Angola. They are usually seen in pairs.
Appearance: It is a small bird and the males are not unlike the Chinspot Batis except for the flanks which are mottled instead of pure white. Both sexes are strikingly coloured with dark grey crown and back, a black eye mask and throat. The rump, tail and wings are black with white edging on the flight feathers and a long white shoulder patch. The underparts are white with black speckles on the flanks. The male birds have a wide black breast band while the females and juveniles have a buff-coloured throat and chest.
Size: Pririt Batis are about 11-12cm long and weigh around 7-14g.
Habitat: Predominantly semi-arid woodlands but it also frequents gardens.
Feeding Habits: It is an insectivorous bird which hunts in the air or takes prey from the ground like a shrike.
Call: The song is a slow descending “hee-hee-hee-hee-hee” sound.
Breeding: The nest is a small neat cup, built low in a tree or bush and is parasitized by Klaus’s Cuckoo.
