NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Black-headed Batis
Batis erlangeri Neumann, 1907
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.
Black-headed Batis, Ndassima, CAR
Nigel Voaden from UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The western black-headed batis (Batis erlangeri) or Von Erlanger's batis, is a species of passerine bird in the wattle-eye family Platysteiridae. It is found over an extensive area of central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and moist savanna. It was formerly treated as conspecific with the eastern black-headed batis (Batis minor).
Two subspecies are recognised:
B. e. erlangeri Neumann, 1907 – north Cameroon to Ethiopia south to Uganda, west Kenya and Burundi
B. e. congoensis Neumann, 1907 – south Congo, southwest Democratic Republic of the Congo, west Angola
Wikipedia contributors, Western black-headed batis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:31:25.530687+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Batis erlangeri Neumann, 1907
- Name authority
- Neumann, 1907
- Common name
- Western Black-headed 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 erlangeri Neumann, 1907
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 |
| Woodwards' BatisBatis fratrum (Shelley in Woodward & Woodward, 1900) | PlatysteiridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chinspot BatisBatis molitor (Küster, 1836) | 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 |
|---|---|
| Batis minor erlangeri Neumann, 1907 Neumann, 1907 | 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=916541 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.
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:KYTX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.