Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
Relatively colorful, mid-sized, long-tailed cisticola of wetlands. Note the heavily streaked back and rump, and rufous in the cap, wing, and tail. Found in and adjacent to dense wetland habitats. Distinctive song is an introductory “chip” note or two followed by a quick, warbled jumble. Similar to Winding Cisticola, but Levaillant’s has a rufous tail and a streaked rump. Relatively bold colors separate the two from other cisticolas.
Identification
Levaillant's cisticola is a small, 12–15 cm long, dull-coloured bird with a longish tail and a reddish cap. The upperparts of the breeding adult are grey, heavily streaked with black, and with a rufous panel in the folded wing. The supercilium, face and underparts are buffy white and the tail is russet brown. The short straight bill is blackish-brown with a pinkish base, and the feet and legs are pinkish-brown. The eye is light brown. Non-breeding adults are browner-backed, and juvenile birds have yellower underparts. The calls include a musical chrip-trrrup-trreee, a wailing tee tee tee and harsh alarm notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cisticola tinniens
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1842)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Cisticola
Range and habitat
The cisticola is a resident breeder in eastern Africa from Kenya to eastern South Africa. It is common in reedbeds, sedges, rank grass, and similar wet habitats usually near rivers or dams.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Levaillant's cisticola is usually seen in pairs, singly, or in small family parties. Flitting through the grass as it forages for small insects. It is vocal and conspicuous, perching on the top of tall grass stems and reeds and making its alarm call.<p>The cisticola builds a ball-shaped nest with a side entrance from dry grass, cobwebs and felted plant down. It is usually placed in a tuft of grass or weeds, which are standing in, or hanging over water. Nesting occurs from August to October.
Conservation
This common species has a large range, with an estimated extent of 1,400,000 km2. The population size is believed to be large, and the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as least concern.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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