Rwenzori Batis

Rwenzori Batis

Batis diops

Silhouette: Mathieu Pélissié · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Volcanoes National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

156 Verified sightings at Volcanoes National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,097 In all 4 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rwenzori Batis

The Rwenzori batis (Batis diops) is a bird native to the Albertine Rift montane forests, where it inhabits altitudes of 1,340–3,300 m (4,400–10,830 ft). The Rwenzori batis is a small, active black and white Old World flycatcher. The upperparts are dark bluish black with a white stripe along the wing and a white loral spot. The underparts are mostly white except for a glossy bluish black breast band, a black chin spot and black thighs and grey axillaries. The tail is black with the feathers having white tips and white edges on the outer tail feathers. The sexes are similar except that males have yellow eyes and females have been reported sometimes to have orangey-red eyes. Juveniles are similar to adults but the plumage has a more rufous cast. The Rwenzori batis measures 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) in length, and it weighs 8–15.5 g (0.28–0.55 oz).

The territorial call is a slow low-pitched whistle, which has been described as both ventriloqual and eerie. It is repeated with an interval of 2–4 seconds between each whistle. The Rwenzori batis occurs in the Albertine Rift from the Rwenzori Mountains in the north to Mount Kabobo in the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:53

Uganda · 2015

© Martin St-Michel · XC234727 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Duet0:28

Burundi · 2026

© Bram Piot · XC1083764 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:40

Uganda · 2022

© Peter Boesman · XC739433 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%
2 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%
3 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
4 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rwenzori Batis in Volcanoes National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rwenzori Batis sighting in Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 156 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rwenzori Batis in Volcanoes National Park?

July and December

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rwenzori Batis in Volcanoes National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April and October–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rwenzori Batis?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rwenzori Batis sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Volcanoes National Park the best place to see a Rwenzori Batis?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rwenzori Batis sightings, Volcanoes National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda, about 30%) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, about 20%).

Where does the Rwenzori Batis sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rwenzori Batis is recorded against all the birds logged in Volcanoes National Park (156 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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