NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Chinspot Batis
Batis molitor (Küster, 1836)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The chinspot batis (Batis molitor) is a small songbird of the genus Batis in the family Platysteiridae which is a common and widespread species in the woodlands of southern Africa from the Eastern Cape north to 3°N in southern Kenya and Gabon. It forms a superspecies with other rather similar members of the genus Batis.
Wikipedia contributors, Chinspot batis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:57:06.651180+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Batis molitor (Küster, 1836)
- Name authority
- (Küster, 1836)
- Common name
- Chinspot Batis
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Platysteiridae
- Genus
- Batis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyPlatysteiridae Mathews, 1922
- genusBatis F. Boie, 1833
- speciesBatis molitor (Küster, 1836)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Batis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Black-headed BatisBatis minor Erlanger, 1901 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ituri BatisBatis ituriensis Chapin, 1921 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Angola BatisBatis minulla (Barboza du Bocage, 1874) | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Margaret's BatisBatis margaritae Boulton, 1934 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dark BatisBatis crypta Fjeldså, Bowie & Kiure, 2006 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pygmy BatisBatis perkeo Neumann, 1907 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Malawi BatisBatis dimorpha (Shelley, 1893) | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rwenzori BatisBatis diops F. J. Jackson, 1905 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western Black-headed BatisBatis erlangeri Neumann, 1907 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Woodwards' BatisBatis fratrum (Shelley in Woodward & Woodward, 1900) | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gabon BatisBatis minima (J. Verreaux & É. Verreaux, 1855) | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pale BatisBatis soror Reichenow, 1903 | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Muscicapa molitor Küster, 1836 Küster, 1836 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=558890 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5WFTH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.