Tinkling Cisticola - BirdForum Opus

Alternative name: Grey Cisticola
Disambiguation: The name Tinkling Cisticola is also used for Cisticola tinniens

Photo by laurent.f
Khaudum National Park, Namibia, March 2016

Cisticola rufilatus

Identification

12–13 cm (4¾-5 in)

• Brownish streaked back
• Noticeable pale supercilium
• Long graduated tail

Distribution

Africa
Western Africa: Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Zambia, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• C. r. rufilatus:

• Southern Angola and northern Namibia to Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern Cape Province

• C. r. ansorgei (venustulus):

• South-eastern Gabon to eastern Angola, southern Zaire, northern Zambia and Malawi

• C. r. vicinior:

• Plateau of Zimbabwe

Habitat

Dry savanna, edges of broadleafed woods and scrubland.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of insects, gleaned from leaves and by foraged on the ground.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2016)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Tinkling Cisticola. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Tinkling_Cisticola

External Links

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