Platysteiridae Wattle-eyes and Batises

These small to mid-sized songbirds of forests and woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa are restless insectivores. Even while sitting and waiting for prey to fly by or appear on a nearby branch, they fidget as though anxious to take off on another flight. Batises are the larger-headed of the two main groups in this family, and the wattle-eyes all bear brightly colored wattles above or around their eyes. The White-tailed “Shrike” Lanioturdus torquatus is much like a large, stocky batis, running on the ground with long legs though dry woodlands and scrub in southwestern Africa. Many platysteirids make an array of strange sounds when alarmed or in display, including grunting, croaking, bill-snapping, and clicking noises made with their wings.