Cisticola is a genus of small insectivorous birds formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family Cisticolidae, along with other tropical and southern warbler genera. The name is used as both the scientific and vernacular names; it can be pronounced either kis-ti-cola (classical Latin) or sis-tic-ola (ecclesiastical Latin). Genetic data suggests the family is quite closely related to the swallows and martins, the bulbuls, and the white-eyes. The genus contains over 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 fan-tailed warblers due to their habit of conspicuously flicking their tails, or tailor-birds because of their nests.
Cisticolas are widespread through the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. Africa, which is home to almost all of the 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, or in papyrus, common reed, 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 Old World tropics and also breeds in southern Europe. It has been spreading northwards in western Europe with the warming climate, and has occurred on a few occasions as a vagrant to England, with breeding recorded there for the first time in 2025.[5]
Description
Cisticolas are small (from 9–17cm) and with brown plumage; they may be either streaked dark brown on lighter brown above, or more plainly uniform brown above. The underparts are paler, usually whitish or buff. The tails are distinctively short in several species. Because of their small size and often skulking, they are generally more easily heard than seen, except when singing in flight. Several have more brightly coloured crowns, orange-brown to golden, to (rarely) white. The similar plumage of many species can make them hard to identify, particularly in winter when they seldom emerge from the vegetation. Many African species, in particular, are difficult to distinguish other than by their calls. Fourteen species are named from their calls or songs, from "singing" and "chirping" to "bubbling", "croaking", "rattling", "siffling", "tinkling", "trilling", "wailing", and "zitting".[6][7] The sexes are alike in plumage, but many show sexual dimorphism in size, with the males heavier than the females.[6]
The smallest is tiny cisticola at 9–10cm long and 5–10g weight, the largest is croaking cisticola at 13–17cm long and 12–29g (male 16–29g, female 12–18g) weight.[7][6]
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.
In summer, male cisticolas of smaller species make spectacular display flights while larger species perch in prominent places to sing lustily. Despite its 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.
123Hoyo, Josep del; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A.; Bock, Walter Joseph; Collar, Nigel James (2006). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol.11. Barcelona: Lynx edicions. pp.441–465. ISBN978-84-96553-06-4.
12Hoyo, Josep del (2020). All the birds of the world. Barcelona: Lynx edicions. pp.591–594. ISBN978-84-16728-37-4.
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 Evolution42: 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 ISBN978-84-96553-06-4
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