Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor) [XC95680]
by Mark Harper from Udekwa ranger station, Iringa, Tanzania (song)
Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor) [XC664196]
by Lynette Rudman from Makana Local Municipality (near Glen Ambrose), Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa (song)
Subspecies
Part of a superspecies that probably includes also Senegal Batis (Batis senegalensis), Grey-headed Batis (Batis orientalis), East Coast Batis (Batis soror) and Pririt Batis (Batis pririt). Replaced in eastern African lowlands by East Coast Batis (Batis soror), which was once considered a subspecies of this species (although apparently some geographical overlap in south-eastern Tanzania). Marginal range overlap with Pririt Batis (Batis pririt) from northern Namibia east to northern South Africa; some interaction between the two (including imitation of call in order to establish interspecific territories), also interspecific response to playback of sounds recorded by researchers.
Proposed subspecies montana (from Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania), taruensis (from south-eastern Kenya) and mystica (from Ukamba, in Kenya) considered synonymous with puella.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
pintoi Lawson, 1966 - Gabon (Djambala), PRCongo, Angola (Dinge area of Cabinda, also inland areas), south-western DRCongo (Ngombe, in extreme western Kasai, possibly also extreme south-western Katanga) and north-western Zambia (Mwinilunga area).
puella Reichenow, 1893 - Southern Sudan (Didinga Mts), and north-eastern DRCongo (Kivu), Uganda and Rwanda east to western and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania (east to Kilimanjaro region).
palliditergum Clancey, 1955 - South-eastern DRCongo (Katanga), Zambia, Malawi and southern Tanzania south to southern Angola (Cunene and Namibe), northern Namibia, eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique (middle Zambezi and south-western regions), northern South Africa and northern Lesotho.
molitor Küster, 1850 - Southern Mozambique, Swaziland and eastern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal south to Port Elizabeth region of eastern Cape).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet