Pririt Bosbontrokkie

Batis pririt

Common in dry savanna habitats, especially those dominated by thorn trees, and along wooded drainage lines in more arid areas, the tiny Pririt Batis (10g in weight, 12cm long) follows an entirely insectivorous diet.

It is mostly the female’s responsibility to build the delicate cup-shaped nest using spiderweb and fine plant material inside the foliage of a tree or shrub. Breeding in this species has been recorded almost throughout the year (though there seems to be a spring peak), with clutches of 1-4 eggs incubated by the female for a little over 2 weeks. Both parents look after the chicks once hatched. The chicks leave the nest when they’re two weeks old but may remain with their parents for up to 6 weeks more. These little birds normally move around in pairs or small groups, often together with similarly sized birds of other species.

The Pririt Batis is distributed from southern Angola through Botswana and Namibia to South Africa‘s arid western provinces (Free State, North West, Eastern, Western and Northern Cape). The IUCN lists it as being of least concern.