Cisticolas 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.
The Aberdare cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is endemic to Kenya.
The lazy cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
The wing-snapping cisticola, also known as Ayres' cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.
The Boran cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The bubbling cisticola 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.
The singing cisticola 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, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The Madagascar cisticola is a species of bird in the cisticola family (Cisticolidae). It inhabits areas to the west of the ˞Indian Ocean. It forms a superspecies with the closely related zitting cisticola and the Socotra cisticola.
The ashy cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The dambo cisticola or cloud-scraping cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, the DRC and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
The red-faced cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widely present across sub-Saharan Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland and swamps.
The wailing cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.
The tiny cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The chirping cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland and swamps.
The stout cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are boreal forest, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.
The rufous cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The cloud cisticola or tink-tink cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia, and its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The Socotra warbler is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic within the genus Incana. It is endemic to Socotra. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The foxy cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.
The Socotra Island xeric shrublands is a terrestrial ecoregion that covers the large island of Socotra and several smaller islands that constitute the Socotra Archipelago. The archipelago is in the western Indian Ocean, east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. Politically the archipelago is part of Yemen, and lies south of the Yemeni mainland.
