Cisticola

 ( Cisticolidae ) 

Cisticolas (pronounced sis-TIC-olas) are a genus of very small insectivorous formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family Cisticolidae, along with other southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the swallow, the and the . The genus contains about 50 species, of which only two are not found in Africa: one in Madagascar and the other from Asia to Australasia. They are also sometimes called fantail-warblers due to their habit of conspicuously flicking their tails, or tailor-birds because of their nests.

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Taxonomy The genus was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. The type species, by Tautonym, is Sylvia cisticola Temminck, 1820, now considered as a subspecies of Sylvia juncidis Rafinesque 1810, the zitting cisticola. The name Cisticola is from Ancient Greek kisthos, "Cistaceae", and Latin colere, "to dwell".

James A Jobling (2025). 9781408125014, Christopher Helm. . ISBN 9781408125014

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Range and habitat Cisticolas are widespread through the Old World's tropical and sub-tropical regions. Africa, which is home to almost all species, is the most likely ancestral home of the group. Cisticolas are usually bird migration with most species attached to and often distinguishable by their habitats.

A variety of open habitats are occupied. These include wetlands, moist or drier grasslands, open or rocky mountain slopes, and human-modified habitats such as road verges, cultivation, weedy areas or pasture. The species preferring wetlands can be found at the edges of mangrove, or in papyrus, Phragmites, or typha swamps. Cisticolas are generally quite common within what remains of their preferred habitats.

The zitting cisticola (or fan-tailed warbler) is widespread throughout the tropics and even breeds in southern Europe. It has occurred on a few occasions as a vagrant to England.

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Description Because of their small size (about 10 cm) and brown plumage, they are more easily heard than seen. The similar plumage of many species can make them hard to identify, particularly in winter when they seldom emerge from their grasses. Many African species, in particular, are difficult to distinguish other than by their calls. Thirteen species are named for their calls, from "singing" and "chirping" to "bubbling" and "siffling".

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Behaviour Male cisticolas are polygamous. The female builds a discreet nest deep in the grasses, often binding living leaves into the soft fabric of felted plant down, cobweb, and grass: a cup shape for the zitting cisticola with a canopy of tied-together leaves or grasses overhead for camouflage, a full dome for the golden-headed cisticola. The average clutch is about 4 eggs, which take about 2 weeks to hatch. The Cuckoo-finch is a specialist parasite of cisticolas and .

In summer, male cisticolas of smaller species make spectacular display flights while larger species perch in prominent places to sing lustily. Despite his size and well-camouflaged, brown-streaked plumage, the male golden-headed cisticola of Australia and southern Asia produces a small, brilliant splash of golden-yellow colour in the dappled sunlight of a reed bed.

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List of species The genus contains 53 species:

Sub-Saharan Africa (except southern and Horn of Africa)

Sub-Saharan Africa

African tropical rainforest

Zambia, Tanzania, DR Congo, western Kenya

central Africa

western Angola

Kenya and northern Tanzania

Western High Plateau and Albertine rift montane forests

Tanzania

Tanzania

Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola

Sub-Saharan Africa (except western and southern Africa)

Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya

Tanzania and northern Malawi

East Africa

Kenya

central-southern Africa

Namibia and South Africa

southern and eastern Afromontane

Kenya

southeastern Africa

north/central Sub-Saharan Africa

coastal East Africa

Tanzania

Ethiopia

Zambia and adjacent areas

Zambia, Angola and southern DR Congo

Rwenzori and northern Lake Victoria region

southern Sub-Saharan Africa

western and eastern Afromontane

Kenya

Sub-Saharan Africa

Lake Chad to Eritrea and northern Uganda

western Africa

East Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (except southern Africa)

western Africa

western CAR to Ethiopia

southern half of Sub-Saharan Africa

Zambia and Tanzania

northern Angola and south-western DRC

Afrotropics, southern Palearctic and northern Australia

Socotra

Seychelles and Madagascar

Arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola, western Zambia and southern Africa

sparsely present across the Sudan (region), the Congo and western Kenya

the Congo, southern DRC, northern Angola and Zambia

Adamawa Massif, Gabon, the Congo and highlands of East Africa

the Congo, Tanzania to eastern South Africa

highlands of southern Africa

Indomalaya and western Oceania

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Further reading

• Nguembock B.; Fjeldsa J.; Tillier A.; Pasquet E. (2007): A phylogeny for the Cisticolidae (Aves: Passeriformes) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, and a re-interpretation of a unique nest-building specialization. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42: 272–286.
• Ryan, Peter (2006). Family Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and allies). Pp. 378–492 in del Hoyo J., Elliott A. & Christie D.A. (2006) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11. Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers'' Lynx Edicions, Barcelona

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External links

• Cisticola videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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