Senegal Batis.
21st February 2026
The diminutive Senegal Batis is a species of bird in the’ Wattle Eye’ family. These flycatcher - like birds are arboreal foragers, probing tree foliage for insects but also flying up into the air to catch some insects on the wing.
Their nest is built by both sexes and is a typical Batis nest, made of dried grass and strips of bark, decorated with leaves and lichen and bound together with spider webs. It is a small neat cup, attached to the fork or thick stem of a bush or tree also with spider webs. The nest is often in quite an exposed situation but the above-described decoration seems to act as effective camouflage.
They are very busy birds and this coupled with their very small size, about three inches, makes them a difficult subject to photograph. However, they are quite attractive and worth the effort.
The females below have a conspicuous rusty breast colouration
Their nest is built by both sexes and is a typical Batis nest, made of dried grass and strips of bark, decorated with leaves and lichen and bound together with spider webs. It is a small neat cup, attached to the fork or thick stem of a bush or tree also with spider webs. The nest is often in quite an exposed situation but the above-described decoration seems to act as effective camouflage.
They are very busy birds and this coupled with their very small size, about three inches, makes them a difficult subject to photograph. However, they are quite attractive and worth the effort.
The females below have a conspicuous rusty breast colouration