news from the PERCY FITZPATRICK INSTITUTE A NEW IN

key advantage of Compared to the northern the Fitztitute being , southern males have A recognised as a broader black breast bands, Centre of Excellence by the blackish spots on the back Department of Science and and lack any white on the Technology (see August/ frons between the black September 2004, page 12) facial mask and dark grey is that the Centre can have crown. Southern females are collaborators based at other also generally darker, with a institutions. One of these is reduced supercilium and nar- Rauri Bowie, a graduate of rower chestnut wing panel. the Fitz who, after four years Because the southern species at Stellenbosch University, had been overlooked even has been lured away by the at the level, it University of California, has been named Batis crypta. Berkeley, to head up a WATERCOLOUR PAINTING © JON FJELDSÅ Jon Fjeldså suggests the research programme on Left: Male and female of the newly described Batis common name Dark Batis. systematics at the Museum crypta. Right: Male and female Short-tailed Batis Batis mixta. To avoid confusion with of Vertebrate Zoology. the old definition of Forest Throughout these moves, taxon has had a chequered divided into two quite distinct Batis, he advocates the use Rauri has remained part of history, being recognised as species, which differ consist- of Short-tailed Batis for the the Centre of Excellence, a distinct species or placed in ently in terms of their genetics newly-restricted definition of obtaining research funding either Cape or by and morphology. from B. mixta. Reichenow’s Batis through the Centre. different authors. the southern mountains in should be regarded as a sub- One of Rauri’s long-standing Batises are an exclusively the Eastern Arc (including the species of mixta. interests has been unravelling African group of insectivores Udzungwa, Uluguru, Ukaguru, What about the status of the evolutionary histories of related to the bush- Kipengere and Rubeho moun- Batis? The genetic montane-forest birds in East and characterised by their tains in Tanzania, and Misuku evidence confirms that it is Africa, and he has collabo- small size and marked sexual Hills in extreme northern sister to the Cape Batis, but rated closely in this research dimorphism in plumage. Like Malawi) form a tight group birds from and with Jon Fjeldså from the many montane-forest species, that differs from birds from Malawi have not shared a University of Copenhagen. they exhibit regional variation the northern mountains common ancestor for a con- Together with Jacob Kiure between isolated mountain (Nguru, Nguu, Usambaras, siderable period. It would be from Tanzania, they have chains. Over the years, this Pares, Kilimanjaro) and coastal nice to see how birds from examined the relationships has led to confusion as to regions. The latter group eastern and cen- among forest batises. The how many species should be includes the south-western tral fit into the results, published in the recognised. In central and East Reichenow’s Batis, which until picture, but given the marked latest issue of the Journal Africa, the forest forms have now had been assumed to difference in male plumage of Ornithology, provide an traditionally been divided form part of the Cape Batis between the two forms, it objective assessment of this into the Forest Batis, found complex. There was some evi- is perhaps prudent to treat complex group of birds, and in the dence that the two species are Malawi Batis as a distinct recommend the recognition of Tanzania and coastal not even each other’s closest species too.  of a new species in the Forest , and the Cape Batis relatives, with the Albertine Batis Batis mixta complex. of , which is Rift-endemic Ruwenzori Batis REFERENCE The paper also sheds light on often taken to include the B. diops placing closer to the Fjeldså, J., Bowie, R.C.K. and Kiure, J. the status of some distinctive Malawi Batis B. [c.] dimorpha northern form of Forest Batis. (2006). The Forest Batis, Batis mixta, forms of Cape Batis B. capen- from Malawi and northern In terms of plumage dif- is two species: description of a new, sis, as well as Reichenow’s Mozambique. ferences, the southern birds narrowly distributed Batis species in Batis B. reichenowi from south- The most surprising result are on average longer tailed the Eastern Arc biodiversity hotspot. east Tanzania. This latter was that the Forest Batis is and have darker plumage. Journal of Ornithology. 147: 578-590.

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Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (a DST/NRF Centre of Excellence), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa. Tel. (021) 650 3290; fax (021) 650 3295; e-mail [email protected]

26 PERCY FITZPATRICK INSTITUTE AFRICA – BIRDS & BIRDING