Cisticola

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Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) 2.jpg
Zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Cisticola
Kaup, 1829
Type species
Sylvia cisticola [1]
Temminck, 1820
Species

see text

Cisticolas (pronounced sis-TIC-olas) are a genus of very 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 southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the swallows and martins, the bulbuls and the white-eyes. 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. The type species, by tautonymy, is Sylvia cisticola Temminck, 1820, now considered as a subspecies of Sylvia juncidis Rafinesque 1810, the zitting cisticola. [2] [3] The name Cisticola is from Ancient Greek kisthos, "rock-rose", and Latin colere, "to dwell". [4]

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 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 tropics and even breeds in southern Europe. It has occurred on a few occasions as a vagrant to England.

Description

Male golden-headed cisticola and nest CisticolaExilisBaker.jpg
Male golden-headed cisticola and nest

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 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 parasitic weaver is a specialist parasite of cisticolas and prinias.

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: [5]

ImageCommon NameScientific NameDistribution
Red-faced Cisticola (Cisticola erythrops).jpg Red-faced cisticola Cisticola erythropsSub-Saharan Africa (except southern and Horn of Africa)
Cisticola cantor (Cisticola cantans), parque nacional de la Selva Impenetrable de Bwindi, Uganda, 2024-02-01, DD 84.jpg Singing cisticola Cisticola cantansSub-Saharan Africa
Whistling Cisticola - Ghana S4E2445 (16700461533) (cropped).jpg Whistling cisticola Cisticola lateralisAfrican tropical rainforest
Trilling Cisticola, Sakania, DR Congo (16421861459).jpg Trilling cisticola Cisticola woosnamiZambia, Tanzania, DR Congo, western Kenya
Cisticola anonymus 221640.jpg Chattering cisticola Cisticola anonymuscentral Africa
Bubbling Cisticola 110ND500 DSC7837.jpg Bubbling cisticola Cisticola bullienswestern Angola
Hunter'sCisticola.jpg Hunter's cisticola Cisticola hunteriKenya and northern Tanzania
Chubbs cisticola.jpg Chubb's cisticola Cisticola chubbiWestern High Plateau and Albertine rift montane forests
- Kilombero cisticola Cisticola bakerorumTanzania
- Black-lored cisticola Cisticola nigrilorisTanzania
Rock-loving Cisticola (Cisticola aberrans minor).jpg Rock-loving cisticola Cisticola aberransSub-Saharan Africa
- Huambo cisticola Cisticola bailunduensisAngola
Rattling cisticola, Cisticola chiniana, at Marakele National Park, Limpopo, South Africa - 23880504580.jpg Rattling cisticola Cisticola chinianaSub-Saharan Africa (except western and southern Africa)
- Boran cisticola Cisticola bodessaEritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya
Churring Cisticola - Malawi S4E2167 (16700461993).jpg Churring cisticola Cisticola njombeTanzania and northern Malawi
Amboseli, Ashy Cisticola.jpg Ashy cisticola Cisticola cinereolusEast Africa
- Tana River cisticola Cisticola restrictusKenya
Hunter's Cisticola - KenyaNH8O2433 (16698263634).jpg Tinkling cisticola Cisticola rufilatuscentral-southern Africa
Cisticola subruficapillus -Namaqua National Park, Northern Cape, South Africa-6.jpg Grey-backed cisticola Cisticola subruficapillaNamibia and South Africa
Cisticola lais -Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa-8.jpg Wailing cisticola Cisticola laissouthern and eastern Afromontane
- Lynes's cisticola Cisticola distinctusKenya
Cisticola galactotes subsp isodactylus, Pungwe-vloedvlakte, Birding Weto, a.jpg Rufous-winged cisticola Cisticola galactotessoutheastern Africa
Cisticola marginatus amphilectus, Kuito, Birding Weto, a.jpg Winding cisticola Cisticola marginatusnorth/central Sub-Saharan Africa
- Coastal cisticola Cisticola haematocephaluscoastal East Africa
- White-tailed cisticola Cisticola anderseniTanzania
- Ethiopian cisticola Cisticola lugubrisEthiopia
Luapula Cisticola.jpg Luapula cisticola Cisticola luapulaZambia and adjacent areas
Cisticola pipiens, Kateque, Birding Weto, a.jpg Chirping cisticola Cisticola pipiensZambia, Angola and southern DR Congo
- Carruthers's cisticola Cisticola carruthersiRwenzori and northern Lake Victoria region
Levaillant's Cisticola - South Africa S4E7688 (17294752566).jpg Levaillant's cisticola Cisticola tinnienssouthern Sub-Saharan Africa
Stout Cisticola (cropped).jpg Stout cisticola Cisticola robustuswestern and eastern Afromontane
Aberdare Cisticola - Aberdares - Kenya CD5A1890.jpg Aberdare cisticola Cisticola aberdareKenya
Croaking cisticola (Cisticola natalensis) (cropped).jpg Croaking cisticola Cisticola natalensisSub-Saharan Africa
Red-pate Cisticola (Cisticola ruficeps).jpg Red-pate cisticola Cisticola ruficepsLake Chad to Eritrea and northern Uganda
Dorst's Cisticola (Cisticola guinea).jpg Dorst's cisticola Cisticola guineawestern Africa
Tiny Cisticola JM.jpg Tiny cisticola Cisticola nanaEast Africa
- Short-winged cisticola Cisticola bracxypterusSub-Saharan Africa (except southern Africa)
- Rufous cisticola Cisticola rufuswestern Africa
Foxy Cisticola - Murchison Falls NP Uganda 06 5128 (17133166820).jpg Foxy cisticola Cisticola troglodyteswestern CAR to Ethiopia
Neddicky (Cisticola fulvicapilla), Pilanesberg National Park, 2014.jpg Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapillasouthern half of Sub-Saharan Africa
Tabora ( Long-tailed ) Cisticola - Uganda H8O2802 (17294759186).jpg Long-tailed cisticola Cisticola angusticaudaZambia and Tanzania
Cisticola melanurus, Cuanavale-rivier, a (cropped).jpg Black-tailed cisticola Cisticola melanurusnorthern Angola and south-western DRC
Zitting cisticola 2024 04 19 (cropped).jpg Zitting cisticola Cisticola juncidisAfrotropics, southern Palearctic and northern Australia
- Socotra cisticola Cisticola haesitatusSocotra
Madagascar Cisticola - Ankarafantsika - Madagascar S4E9918 (15297586322).jpg Madagascar cisticola Cisticola cherinaSeychelles and Madagascar
Desert Cisticola (Cisticola aridulus).jpg Desert cisticola Cisticola aridulusArid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa
Cloud cisticola, Cisticola textrix at Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa. (44048411120).jpg Cloud cisticola Cisticola textrixAngola, western Zambia and southern Africa
Black-backed Cisticola male JM.jpg Black-backed cisticola Cisticola eximiussparsely present across the Sudan (region), the Congo and western Kenya
Cisticola dambo, Cuanavale-rivier, Birding Weto, a.jpg Dambo cisticola Cisticola dambothe Congo, southern DRC, northern Angola and Zambia
Pectoral patch cisticola2.jpg Pectoral-patch cisticola Cisticola brunnescens Adamawa Massif, Gabon, the Congo and highlands of East Africa
Cisticola Pale-crowned 2011 12 13 7324 Cedara (cropped).jpg Pale-crowned cisticola Cisticola cinnamomeusthe Congo, Tanzania to eastern South Africa
Wing-snapping cisticola (Cisticola ayresii), also known as Ayres' cisticola, at Khama Rhino Sancturary in Botswana. (30941303887).jpg Wing-snapping cisticola Cisticola ayresiihighlands of southern Africa
Cisticola exilis - Cornwallis Rd.jpg Golden-headed cisticola Cisticola exilesIndomalaya and western Oceania

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cisticolidae</span> Family of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zitting cisticola</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-backed camaroptera</span> Species of bird

The grey-backed camaroptera is a small bird in the family Cisticolidae. This bird is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Recent studies suggest this species and the green-backed camaroptera may be the same species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-headed cisticola</span> Species of bird

The golden-headed cisticola, 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 9–11.5 cm (3.5–4.5 in) long, it is usually brown and cream in colour, but has a different appearance during the mating season, with a gold-coloured body and a much shorter tail. It is an omnivore and frequently makes a variety of vocalizations. Known as the "finest tailor of all birds", it constructs nests out of plants and spider threads. It mates in the rainy season. It has a very large range and population, which is thought to be increasing.

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<i>Apalis</i> Genus of birds

The apalises are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Apalis, in the family Cisticolidae. They are found in forest, woodlands and scrub across most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They are slender birds with long tails and have a slender bill for catching insects. They are typically brown, grey or green above and several species have brightly coloured underparts. Males and females are usually similar in appearance but the males are sometimes brighter.

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The neddicky, or piping cisticola, is a small passerine bird in the family Cisticolidae, which is native to Africa, southwards of the equator. Its strongholds are the light woodlands and shrublands of the subtropics and temperate regions of southern Africa. The common name, neddicky, is the Afrikaans name for the species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedge-tailed jery</span> Species of bird

The wedge-tailed jery is a small bird endemic to the east of Madagascar. The species has been the cause of some taxonomic confusion, it was originally placed with the jeries in the genus Neomixis (Cisticolidae) before being placed in its own monotypic genus Hartertula, but still considered close to Neomixis. Recent research indicates it is part of an endemic Malagasy radiation currently known as the Malagasy warblers.

<i>Eremomela</i> Genus of birds

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<i>Camaroptera</i> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock-loving cisticola</span> Species of bird

The rock-loving cisticola, also known as the lazy cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa and is usually associated with rocky wooded terrain with interspersed patchy grass tussocks. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Huambo cisticola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-backed cisticola</span> Species of bird

The black-backed cisticola or black-necked cisticola is a species of passerine bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whistling cisticola</span> Species of bird

The whistling cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is native to the African tropical rainforest and adjacent areas. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and moist savanna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-tailed cisticola</span> Species of bird

The black-tailed cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae found in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is dry savanna and the canopy of smaller trees. It forages for insects both in the canopy and on the ground.

References

  1. "Cisticolidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. Kaup, Johann Jakob (1829). Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte und natürliches System der europäischen Thierwelt (in German). Vol. c. 1. Darmstadt: Carl Wilhelm Leske. p. 119.
  3. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 84.
  4. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p.  109. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Grassbirds, Donacobius, tetrakas, cisticolas, allies". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 10 November 2024.

Further reading