Gray-headed Batis

SCI Name:  Batis orientalis
Protonym:  Platystira orientalis Orn.NordostAfr. 1 p.449
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Platysteiridae / Batis
Taxonomy Code:  gyhbat1
Type Locality:  no locality; type from Modat Valley, Bogosland, Eritrea, fide Neumann, 1907, Journ. Ornith., 55, p. 350.
Author:  von Heuglin
Publish Year:  1870
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

BATIS
(Platysteiridae; Ϯ Cape Batis B. capensis) Gr. βατις batis, βατιδος batidos  grub- or worm-eating bird mentioned by Aristotle, not further identified, but later associated with a variety of buntings, warblers and chats, including the Western Stonechat (e.g. Turner 1544); "Fam. Muscicapidae. Vigors.  Sippe Batis.  Char. essentialis.  1) Gefieder weiß und schwarz bey ♂, bey ♀ rostfarben und weiß.  2) Länge 5—8 Zoll.  3) Die obere Kinnlade an der Spitze über die untere gekrümmt.  4) 3te Schwungfeder die längste.  5) Die fast ganz von Federn bedeckten Nasenlöcher auf der obern Fläche des Schnabels.    Arten.  Africa: 1) Muscicapa strepitans Lichtenstein, Museum Berlin.   2)  — melanoleuca Licht. Vaill. pl. 161.   3) — molitor Vaill. pl. 160.   4) Muscicapa fimbriata Licht. Mus. Berl.   5) — succincta Licht.  — —    Asien: 1) Muscicapa hirundinacea Fem.   Mehrere dieser Vögel, von denen das Berliner Museum eine schöne Reihenfolge besitzt, wurden schon von Vaillant, jenem ausgezeichneten, so oft ohne ihn zu nennen benutzten, Naturforscher als einander sehr nahe stehend bezeichnet" (Boie 1833).  Boie appears to have thought that the calls of the various flycatchers described by Levaillant and Lichtenstein recalled those of the Stonechat (cf. Gr. βατος batos  bramble) (see molitor and rubetra); "Batis Boie, 1833, Isis von Oken, col. 880. Type, by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1879, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 4, p. 133), [Muscicapa strepitans Lichtenstein =] Muscicapa capensis Linnaeus." (Traylor in Peters, 1986, XI, p. 378).
Synon. Pachyprora.

orientale / orientalis
L. orientalis  eastern, oriental  < oriens, orientis  east.
● Asia; ex “Anser moschoviticus” of Albin 1731-1738, and “Anser chinensis” of Linnaeus 1747 (syn. Anser cygnoides).
● India; ex Ardea antigone Linnaeus, 1758, “Grus orientalis” of Brisson 1760, and “Indian Crane” of Latham 1785 (syn. Antigone antigone).
● East Indies (= Seram and New Guinea); ex “Casoar des Indes orientales” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 313 (syn. Casuarius casuarius).
● India; ex “Eastern Parrot” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Eclectus roratus).
● East Indies (= Amboina); ex “Coucou noir des Indes” (= ♂) and “Coucou tacheté des Indes” (=♀) of Brisson 1760 (subsp. Eudynamys scolopaceus).
● East Indies (=Java); ex “Rollier des Indes” of Brisson 1760 (Eurystomus).
● East Indies; ex “Merula indica” of Brisson 1760, “Merle des Indes Orientales” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 273, fig. 2, and “Ash-rumped Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lalage nigra).
● India; ex “Indian Bee-eater” and “Coromandel Bee-eater” of Latham 1782-1787 (Merops).
● Asia; ex “Onocrotalus” or “Pelecanus” of previous authors (syn. Pelecanus onocrotalus).
● "91. TETRAO.  ...  orientalis.  12. T. pedibus antice pilosis: abdomine gulaque atra, collari ferrugineo, cauda cuneiformi.  Tetrao orientalis. Hasselq. it. 278. n. 43.  Perdix damascena. Will. orn. 128.  Francolin. Tournef. it. I. p. 158. t. 158.  Habitat in Oriente." (Linnaeus 1758) (Pterocles).
● China; ex “Tourterelle brune de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Chinese Turtle” of Latham 1783 (Streptopelia).
● China; ex “China Owl” of Latham 1801 (syn. Strix seloputo).

SUBSPECIES

Gray-headed Batis (bella)
SCI Name: Batis orientalis bella
bella
L. bellus  pretty, charming  < benus old form of bonus  good.
● ex “Black-lined Grosbeak” of Latham 1801 (Stagonopleura).

Gray-headed Batis (orientalis)
SCI Name: Batis orientalis orientalis
orientale / orientalis
L. orientalis  eastern, oriental  < oriens, orientis  east.
● Asia; ex “Anser moschoviticus” of Albin 1731-1738, and “Anser chinensis” of Linnaeus 1747 (syn. Anser cygnoides).
● India; ex Ardea antigone Linnaeus, 1758, “Grus orientalis” of Brisson 1760, and “Indian Crane” of Latham 1785 (syn. Antigone antigone).
● East Indies (= Seram and New Guinea); ex “Casoar des Indes orientales” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 313 (syn. Casuarius casuarius).
● India; ex “Eastern Parrot” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Eclectus roratus).
● East Indies (= Amboina); ex “Coucou noir des Indes” (= ♂) and “Coucou tacheté des Indes” (=♀) of Brisson 1760 (subsp. Eudynamys scolopaceus).
● East Indies (=Java); ex “Rollier des Indes” of Brisson 1760 (Eurystomus).
● East Indies; ex “Merula indica” of Brisson 1760, “Merle des Indes Orientales” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 273, fig. 2, and “Ash-rumped Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lalage nigra).
● India; ex “Indian Bee-eater” and “Coromandel Bee-eater” of Latham 1782-1787 (Merops).
● Asia; ex “Onocrotalus” or “Pelecanus” of previous authors (syn. Pelecanus onocrotalus).
● "91. TETRAO.  ...  orientalis.  12. T. pedibus antice pilosis: abdomine gulaque atra, collari ferrugineo, cauda cuneiformi.  Tetrao orientalis. Hasselq. it. 278. n. 43.  Perdix damascena. Will. orn. 128.  Francolin. Tournef. it. I. p. 158. t. 158.  Habitat in Oriente." (Linnaeus 1758) (Pterocles).
● China; ex “Tourterelle brune de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Chinese Turtle” of Latham 1783 (Streptopelia).
● China; ex “China Owl” of Latham 1801 (syn. Strix seloputo).

Gray-headed Batis (chadensis)
SCI Name: Batis orientalis chadensis
chadensis
Lake Chad, Nigeria/Tchad.

Gray-headed Batis (lynesi)
SCI Name: Batis orientalis lynesi
lynesi
Rear-Adm. Hubert Lynes (1874-1942) Royal Navy, on China Station 1910-1912, ornithologist, collector in tropical Africa (subsp. Anthus cinnamomeus, Apalis, ‡subsp. Ardeotis arabs, subsp. Batis orientalis, subsp. Cisticola brunnescens, syn. Dendrocopos major mauritanus, subsp. Galerida cristata, syn. Hirundo atrocaerulea, subsp. Lybius leucocephalus, subsp. Mirafra rufa, syn. Myrmecocichla tholloni, syn. Parus major excelsus, Sarothrura).