Bates's paradise flycatcher

Bates's paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone batesi) is a passerine bird belonging to the genus Terpsiphone in the monarch-flycatcher family, Monarchidae. It was formerly considered to be synonymous with the rufous-vented paradise flycatcher (T. rufocinerea) but is now generally regarded as a separate species. There are two subspecies. 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.

Taxonomy

Bates's paradise flycatcher is was formerly included in the rufous-vented paradise flycatcher (T. rufocinerea) but is now often regarded as a separate species. There are two subspecies: T. b. batesi in the north and T. b. bannermani in the south. Its name commemorates the American ornithologist George Latimer Bates.

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.

References

• Beolens, Bo & Watkins, Michael (2003) Whose Bird?: Men and women commemorated in the common names of birds, Christopher Helm, London.
• Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.