Bates's paradise flycatcher

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Bates's paradise flycatcher
Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.AVES.92587 1 - Terpsiphone rufocinerea batesi Chapin, 1921 - Monarchidae - bird skin specimen.jpeg
preserved specimen
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Monarchidae
Genus: Terpsiphone
Species:
T. batesi
Binomial name
Terpsiphone batesi
Chapin, 1921
Subspecies

See text

Synonyms
  • Terpsiphone rufocinerea batesi

Bates's paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone batesi) is a passerine bird belonging to the monarch-flycatcher family, Monarchidae. The sexes are similar in appearance with the upper parts being rufous and the head and underparts being bluish-grey. It is native to central Africa where it is found in the understorey of forests.

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

Its name commemorates the American ornithologist George Latimer Bates. Bates's paradise flycatcher was formerly considered as a subspecies of the rufous-vented paradise flycatcher but is now recognized as a separate species. [2] An alternate name is the Cameroon rufous-vented paradise-flycatcher.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies recognized: [3]

Description

Bates's paradise flycatcher is usually 18 centimetres long but males in parts of Cameroon and Angola have elongated central tail-feathers making them 23-28 centimetres long. The head and underparts are blue-grey while the upperparts are rufous. The sexes are similar in coloration. The song is a series of ringing "tswee" notes.

The rufous-vented paradise flycatcher is similar in appearance but has a darker head with a crest and males always have elongated central tail-feathers.

Distribution

It inhabits the understorey of forests. It occurs from Cameroon and the south-western Central African Republic through Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and much of the Democratic Republic of the Congo south as far as north-west Angola.

Related Research Articles

African paradise flycatcher Species of bird

The African paradise flycatcher is a medium-sized passerine bird. The two central tail feathers of the male are extended into streamers that commonly are more than twice as long as the body. The female tail feathers are of moderate length and without streamers. The upper parts of the male body, wings, and tail are boldly coloured in chestnut or rusty shades, but the underparts and the head are variably grey to blue-gray, with the head of the mature male being darker, commonly glossy black with greenish highlights. The beak and other bare areas, including a wattle ring round the eye, match the colour of the surrounding feathers. The female coloration is similar, though not so showy and glossy and with the head paler.

Red-bellied paradise flycatcher Species of bird

The red-bellied paradise flycatcher, also known as the black-headed paradise flycatcher, is a medium-sized passerine bird of the family of monarch flycatchers. It is native to intra-tropical forests of Africa. The male bird is about 17 cm (7 in) long and has a black head, a mainly chestnut body, and a tail with streamers nearly twice as long as the body. The colouring is somewhat variable across the bird's range. Both females and juveniles lack the tail streamers and are a duller brown colour. It is closely related to the African paradise flycatcher, and the two can hybridise.

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Paradise flycatcher Genus of birds

The paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are migratory, but the majority are resident. The most telling characteristic of the genus is the long tail streamers of the males of many species. In addition to the long tails the males and females are sexually dimorphic and have rufous, black and white plumage.

Seychelles paradise flycatcher Species of bird

The Seychelles paradise flycatcher is a rare bird from the genus of paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) within the family Monarchidae. It is a forest-dwelling bird endemic to the Seychelles where it is native to the island of La Digue. Males have glossy black plumage with elongated tail feathers, while females are reddish-brown with pale underparts and no long tail feathers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists this bird as being "Vulnerable" and attempts have been made to increase its numbers by relocating some individuals to Denis Island, another island in the Seychelles archipelago.

Sandy scops owl Species of owl

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Congo serpent eagle Species of bird

The Congo serpent eagle is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, and is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Dryotriorchis by some taxonomic authorities. This species is distributed across the African tropical rainforest, including upper and lower Guinean forests. This serpent eagle specializes in hunting in these forests’ dark understories. It has two subspecies, the nominate subspecies Dryotriorchis spectabilis spectabilis and Dryotriorchis spectabilis batesi. Though monotypic, it appears to be very closely related to Circaetus. This hawk is a medium-sized bird with distinctive short, rounded wings and a long, rounded tail. It is varying shades of brown on its back and has a slight crest. Its breast is white with variable amounts of a rufous wash and, in the nominate subspecies, is covered in round, blackish spots. The subspecies D. s. batesi only has these dots on its flanks. The Congo serpent eagle closely resembles Cassin's hawk-eagle, and some ornithologists believe that this likeness is a rare example of avian mimicry. It is a very vocal raptor, and often is one of the most heard species in its habitat.

Batess nightjar Species of bird

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Gabon coucal Species of bird

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Slender-billed greenbul Species of bird

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Rufous-tailed palm thrush Species of bird

The rufous-tailed palm thrush is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

The white-headed robin-chat is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in northern Angola and the western Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is threatened by habitat loss, and its IUCN conservation status is vulnerable.

White-browed robin-chat Species of bird

The white-browed robin-chat, also known as Heuglin's robin, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. Found in east, central and southern Africa, its natural habitats include riverine forest and thickets, and it is also found near humans. The IUCN classifies it as a least-concern species.

Frasers rufous thrush Species of bird

Fraser's rufous thrush, also known as the rufous flycatcher-thrush, is a species of bird in the thrush family.

Rufous paradise flycatcher Species of bird

The rufous paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Rufous-vented paradise flycatcher Species of bird

The rufous-vented paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found from southern Cameroon to eastern and central Democratic Republic of the Congo and north-western Angola. This species readily hybridizes with the genetically similar African paradise flycatcher. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps and shrub-dominated wetlands.

Blue-headed crested flycatcher Species of bird

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Hairy-breasted barbet Species of bird

The hairy-breasted barbet is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found throughout the Africa tropical rainforest.

The rufous-bellied helmetshrike or Gabon helmetshrike is a passerine bird belonging to the Vanga family, Vangidae. It inhabits tropical forest in Central Africa. It is sometimes included within the chestnut-bellied helmetshrike of West Africa.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Terpsiphone batesi". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . IUCN. 2016: e.T103716224A104092727. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103716224A104092727.en.
  2. "Terpsiphone batesi - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  3. "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi: 10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4 .