Cisticola

Cisticola
Zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Cisticolidae
Genus:	Cisticola Kaup, 1829
Type species
Sylvia cisticola 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.

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. The name Cisticola is from Ancient Greek kisthos, "rock-rose", and Latin colere, "to dwell".

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

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:

Image	Common Name	Scientific Name	Distribution
	Red-faced cisticola	Cisticola erythrops	Sub-Saharan Africa (except southern and Horn of Africa)
	Singing cisticola	Cisticola cantans	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Whistling cisticola	Cisticola lateralis	African tropical rainforest
	Trilling cisticola	Cisticola woosnami	Zambia, Tanzania, DR Congo, western Kenya
	Chattering cisticola	Cisticola anonymus	central Africa
	Bubbling cisticola	Cisticola bulliens	western Angola
	Hunter's cisticola	Cisticola hunteri	Kenya and northern Tanzania
	Chubb's cisticola	Cisticola chubbi	Western High Plateau and Albertine rift montane forests
-	Kilombero cisticola	Cisticola bakerorum	Tanzania
-	Black-lored cisticola	Cisticola nigriloris	Tanzania
	Rock-loving cisticola	Cisticola aberrans	Sub-Saharan Africa
-	Huambo cisticola	Cisticola bailunduensis	Angola
	Rattling cisticola	Cisticola chiniana	Sub-Saharan Africa (except western and southern Africa)
-	Boran cisticola	Cisticola bodessa	Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya
	Churring cisticola	Cisticola njombe	Tanzania and northern Malawi
	Ashy cisticola	Cisticola cinereolus	East Africa
-	Tana River cisticola	Cisticola restrictus	Kenya
	Tinkling cisticola	Cisticola rufilatus	central-southern Africa
	Grey-backed cisticola	Cisticola subruficapilla	Namibia and South Africa
	Wailing cisticola	Cisticola lais	southern and eastern Afromontane
-	Lynes's cisticola	Cisticola distinctus	Kenya
	Rufous-winged cisticola	Cisticola galactotes	southeastern Africa
	Winding cisticola	Cisticola marginatus	north/central Sub-Saharan Africa
-	Coastal cisticola	Cisticola haematocephalus	coastal East Africa
-	White-tailed cisticola	Cisticola anderseni	Tanzania
-	Ethiopian cisticola	Cisticola lugubris	Ethiopia
	Luapula cisticola	Cisticola luapula	Zambia and adjacent areas
	Chirping cisticola	Cisticola pipiens	Zambia, Angola and southern DR Congo
-	Carruthers's cisticola	Cisticola carruthersi	Rwenzori and northern Lake Victoria region
	Levaillant's cisticola	Cisticola tinniens	southern Sub-Saharan Africa
	Stout cisticola	Cisticola robustus	western and eastern Afromontane
	Aberdare cisticola	Cisticola aberdare	Kenya
	Croaking cisticola	Cisticola natalensis	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Red-pate cisticola	Cisticola ruficeps	Lake Chad to Eritrea and northern Uganda
	Dorst's cisticola	Cisticola guinea	western Africa
	Tiny cisticola	Cisticola nana	East Africa
-	Short-winged cisticola	Cisticola bracxypterus	Sub-Saharan Africa (except southern Africa)
-	Rufous cisticola	Cisticola rufus	western Africa
	Foxy cisticola	Cisticola troglodytes	western CAR to Ethiopia
	Neddicky	Cisticola fulvicapilla	southern half of Sub-Saharan Africa
	Long-tailed cisticola	Cisticola angusticauda	Zambia and Tanzania
	Black-tailed cisticola	Cisticola melanurus	northern Angola and south-western DRC
	Zitting cisticola	Cisticola juncidis	Afrotropics, southern Palearctic and northern Australia
-	Socotra cisticola	Cisticola haesitatus	Socotra
	Madagascar cisticola	Cisticola cherina	Seychelles and Madagascar
	Desert cisticola	Cisticola aridulus	Arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa
	Cloud cisticola	Cisticola textrix	Angola, western Zambia and southern Africa
	Black-backed cisticola	Cisticola eximius	sparsely present across the Sudan (region), the Congo and western Kenya
	Dambo cisticola	Cisticola dambo	the Congo, southern DRC, northern Angola and Zambia
	Pectoral-patch cisticola	Cisticola brunnescens	Adamawa Massif, Gabon, the Congo and highlands of East Africa
	Pale-crowned cisticola	Cisticola cinnamomeus	the Congo, Tanzania to eastern South Africa
	Wing-snapping cisticola	Cisticola ayresii	highlands of southern Africa
	Golden-headed cisticola	Cisticola exiles	Indomalaya and western Oceania

Further reading

• 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 Evolution 42: 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 ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4

External links

• Cisticola videos on the Internet Bird Collection