Dambo Cisticola
Cisticola dambo
Small cisticola that is pale and buffy below, and dark on the back. The crown, back of the neck, and back are heavily streaked. Note specific habitat preferences, which can help with identification: found in seepage zones of seasonally wet grasslands, alongside but in wetter situations than Wing-snapping Cisticolas, but avoiding the seasonally flooded habitat of Pale-crowned Cisticola. Very similar to Wing-snapping and Pale-crowned Cisticolas, but longer-tailed than both, and further distinguished from Pale-crowned in breeding plumage by the streaked crown. Also similar to Zitting and Desert Cisticolas, but has a different voice, and is darker on the back. Song consists of nasal notes, given from a low perch (termite mound or grass stem) or occasional brief display flight at grass top height. In contrast to other small cisticolas, it does not have a true aerial display flight.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cisticola dambo
- Authority
- Lynes, 1931
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Cisticola
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-fronted Black-Chat
Oenanthe albifrons
A small and relatively slim black chat. There is some geographical variation: males can show a small white patch on the forehead, or a larger one that covers most of the crown. In some areas, males also have a white shoulder patch. Females vary from being completely black to having a gray throat and sometimes a gray forehead. Found in open savanna, often in rocky and/or recently burned areas. Similar to Sooty Chat and Northern Anteater-Chat, but smaller, and male can always be identified by the white forehead patch. The song is long, chatty, and musical.
Taiwan Bush-Robin
Tarsiger formosanus
Small, furtive, ground-dwelling songbird with thin white eyebrow. Adult males are slaty above and dusky ochre below, with a bright white eyebrow. Female is duller and browner overall, with a thinner eyebrow; note buffy-orange vent, which separates her from female and immature Collared Bush-Robins, which have white vents. Breeds in montane forests with dense understory and descends somewhat into similar habitats during the winter. Song is a short burst of pleasant warbled notes, and calls include a rising and mellow “wheet.” Formerly treated as a subspecies of White-browed Bush-Robin.
Gray Nightjar
Caprimulgus jotaka
Cryptic nightbird. Note silvery gray and brown coloration; intricate patterning more distinct than that of shorter-winged Savanna Nightjar. Roosts on the ground and in trees. Breeds in open areas within dense forests, as well as mountain ridges. Winters in similar habitat, but can also be found in more open areas such as forest edge and scrubland. Song is a long series of hollow “byuck” notes, like the firing of a cartoon laser gun.
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