__NOTOC__ Cisticolas (pronounced ''sis-TIC-olas'') are a genus of very small insectivorous

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s formerly classified in the

Old World warbler Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the ci ...

family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family

Cisticolidae The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. This family probably originate ...

, along with other southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the swallows and martins, the bulbuls and the

white-eye The white-eyes are a family, Zosteropidae, of small passerine birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the ...

s. 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. The genus was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. The name ''Cisticola'' is from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

''kisthos'', " rock-rose", and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''colere'', "to dwell".

Range and habitat

Cisticolas are widespread through the Old World's tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, which is home to almost all species, is the most likely ancestral home of the group. Cisticolas are usually non-migratory 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 A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

, or in

papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...

common reed ''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of plant. It is a broadly distributed wetland grass that can grow up to tall. Description ''Phragmites australis'' commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may ...

, or typha swamps. Cisticolas are generally quite common within what remains of their preferred habitats. The

zitting cisticola The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (''Cisticola juncidis'') is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Aus ...

(or fan-tailed warbler) is widespread throughout the tropics and even breeds in southern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. It has occurred on a few occasions as a vagrant to England.

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".

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

with a canopy of tied-together leaves or grasses overhead for camouflage, a full dome for the

golden-headed cisticola The golden-headed cisticola (''Cisticola exilis''), also known as the bright-capped cisticola, is a species of warbler in the family Cisticolidae, found in Australia and thirteen Asian countries. Growing to long, it is usually brown and cream ...

. The average clutch is about 4 eggs, which take about 2 weeks to hatch. The parasitic weaver is a specialist parasite of cisticolas and

prinia Prinia is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The prinias are sometimes referred to as wren-warblers. They are a ...

s. 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.

List of species

The genus contains 53 species: *

Red-faced cisticola The red-faced cisticola (''Cisticola erythrops'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widely present across sub-Saharan Africa (rare in southern Africa). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flood ...

, ''Cisticola erythrops'' *

Singing cisticola The singing cisticola (''Cisticola cantans'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia ...

, ''Cisticola cantans'' *

Whistling cisticola The whistling cisticola (''Cisticola lateralis'') is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It can be found in several regions within Africa, such as Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivo ...

, ''Cisticola lateralis'' *

Trilling cisticola The trilling cisticola (''Cisticola woosnami'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna an ...

, ''Cisticola woosnami'' *

Chattering cisticola The chattering cisticola (''Cisticola anonymus'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nige ...

, ''Cisticola anonymus'' *

Bubbling cisticola The bubbling cisticola (''Cisticola bulliens'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland ...

, ''Cisticola bulliens'' *

Hunter's cisticola Hunter's cisticola (''Cisticola hunteri'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane and high-altitude shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, br ...

, ''Cisticola hunteri'' * Chubb's cisticola, ''Cisticola chubbi'' * Kilombero cisticola, ''Cisticola bakerorum'' * Black-lored cisticola, ''Cisticola nigriloris'' * Lazy cisticola, ''Cisticola aberrans'' *

Rock-loving cisticola The lazy cisticola (''Cisticola aberrans'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democrat ...

, ''Cisticola emini'' *

Rattling cisticola The rattling cisticola (''Cisticola chiniana'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae which is native to Africa south of the equator, and parts of East Africa. It is a common to abundant species in open savanna and scrubland habitats, w ...

, ''Cisticola chiniana'' * Boran cisticola, ''Cisticola bodessa'' * Churring cisticola, ''Cisticola njombe'' * Ashy cisticola, ''Cisticola cinereolus'' * Tana River cisticola, ''Cisticola restrictus'' * Tinkling cisticola, ''Cisticola rufilatus'' * Grey-backed cisticola, ''Cisticola subruficapilla'' * Wailing cisticola, ''Cisticola lais'' * Lynes's cisticola, ''Cisticola distinctus'' (sometimes considered as a subspecies of the wailing cistocola) * Rufous-winged cisticola, ''Cisticola galactotes'' * Winding cisticola, ''Cisticola marginatus'' * Coastal cisticola, ''Cisticola haematocephalus'' * White-tailed cisticola, ''Cisticola anderseni'' * Ethiopian cisticola, ''Cisticola lugubris'' * Luapula cisticola, ''Cisticola luapula'' * Chirping cisticola, ''Cisticola pipiens'' *

Carruthers's cisticola Carruthers's cisticola (''Cisticola carruthersi'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is swamp A swamp is a foreste ...

, ''Cisticola carruthersi'' * Levaillant's cisticola, ''Cisticola tinniens'' * Stout cisticola, ''Cisticola robustus'' * Aberdare cisticola, ''Cisticola aberdare'' *

Croaking cisticola The croaking cisticola (''Cisticola natalensis'') is an Old World warbler in the family Cisticolidae. It is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara. The croaking cisticola is an insectivorous passerine that is found in rank grassland ha ...

, ''Cisticola natalensis'' * Red-pate cisticola, ''Cisticola ruficeps'' *

Dorst's cisticola Dorst's cisticola (''Cisticola guinea''), also known as the plaintive cisticola, is a bird in the family Cisticolidae. It occurs in West Africa and south of Lake Chad. Taxonomy and systematics of this bird are quite confusing. The Cisticolidae ...

, ''Cisticola guinea'' - formerly ''C. dorsti'' or included in ''C. ruficeps'' * Tiny cisticola, ''Cisticola nana'' * Short-winged cisticola, ''Cisticola brachypterus'' * Rufous cisticola, ''Cisticola rufus'' * Foxy cisticola, ''Cisticola troglodytes'' * Neddicky, ''Cisticola fulvicapilla'' * Long-tailed cisticola, ''Cisticola angustacauda'' * Black-tailed cisticola, ''Cisticola melanurus'' *

Zitting cisticola The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (''Cisticola juncidis'') is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Aus ...

, ''Cisticola juncidis'' * Socotra cisticola, ''Cisticola haesitatus'' * Madagascar cisticola, ''Cisticola cherina'' * Desert cisticola, ''Cisticola aridulus'' * Cloud cisticola, ''Cisticola textrix'' * Black-backed cisticola, ''Cisticola eximius'' * Dambo cisticola, ''Cisticola dambo'' * Pectoral-patch cisticola, ''Cisticola brunnescens'' * Pale-crowned cisticola, ''Cisticola cinnamomeus'' * Wing-snapping cisticola, ''Cisticola ayresii'' *

Golden-headed cisticola The golden-headed cisticola (''Cisticola exilis''), also known as the bright-capped cisticola, is a species of warbler in the family Cisticolidae, found in Australia and thirteen Asian countries. Growing to long, it is usually brown and cream ...

, ''Cisticola exilis''

References

External links