Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Rattling cisticola

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Order
  
Passeriformes

Genus
  
Cisticola

Higher classification
  
Cisticola

Phylum
  
Chordata

Family
  
Cisticolidae

Scientific name
  
Cisticola chiniana

Rank
  
Species

Rattling cisticola Rattling cisticola Wikipedia

Similar
  
Cisticola, Bird, Desert cisticola, Croaking cisticola, Tinkling cisticola

Jan 24 2017 rattling cisticola with james hendry


The rattling cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae which is native to Africa south of the equator, and parts of East Africa. It is a common to abundant species in open savanna and scrubland habitats, whether in arid, moist or upland regions. Especially during summer, it is highly conspicuous due to its strident and repetitive call-notes from prominent perches.

Contents

Rattling cisticola Cisticola

Blue waxbill firefinch rattling cisticola


Range

Rattling cisticola wwwbiodiversityexplorerorgbirdscisticolidaeim

It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Rattling cisticola Rattling Cisticolas Cisticola chiniana

Its natural habitat is arid, mesic or moist savannas and woodland, often dominated by thorn trees or thorn shrub (Dichrostachys, etc.). It is however also commonly found in miombo and mopane woodland, and is one of the commonest bird species on the Mozambican coastal plain. It is also present in the Eastern Highlands and the East African uplands below 2,000 m. In addition it utilizes some ecotones including edges of cultivation, fringes of dense woodland and woodland fringing the Okavango delta.

Rattling cisticola chiniana Rattling cisticola

Tinkling cisticola replaces it in stunted broad-leaved woodland and dry deciduous woodland on sandy substrates, while various Cisticola species replace it in marshy situations. It co-occurs with various Prinia species.

Habits

Rattling cisticola Rattling Cisticola

Especially in summer, much time is spent calling prominently from the top of a tree or bush. The strident call can be rendered as "chee-chee chichi-chirrrrr", but varies somewhat from individual to individual.

Nesting

Breeding occurs during the wet season in spring and summer. They build a ball-shaped nest of very coarse grass blades, which is lined on the inside with fine plant material.

Subspecies

Some seventeen subspecies are accepted:

  • C. c. simplex (Heuglin, 1869)
  • Range: South Sudan and DRC to Uganda
  • C. c. fortis Lynes, 1930
  • Range: Gabon, the Congos and Angola to Zambia
  • C. c. fricki Mearns, 1913
  • Range: Ethiopian and northern Kenyan highlands
  • C. c. humilis Madarász, 1904
  • Range: eastern Ugandan and western Kenyan highlands
  • C. c. ukamba Lynes, 1930
  • Range: highlands of C Kenya and N Tanzania.
  • C. c. heterophrys Oberholser, 1906
  • Range: Kenyan and Tanzanian coastal plains
  • C. c. victoria Lynes, 1930
  • Range: eastern circumference of Lake Victoria
  • C. c. fischeri Reichenow, 1891
  • Range: Tanzania
  • C. c. keithi Parkes, 1987
  • Range: Tanzania
  • C. c. mbeya Parkes, 1987
  • Range: Tanzania
  • C. c. emendatus Vincent, 1944
  • Range: southern Tanzania, Malawi and northern Mozambique
  • C. c. procerus W.K.H.Peters, 1868
  • Range: eastern Zambia to central Mozambique
  • C. c. bensoni Traylor, 1964
  • Range: southern Zambia
  • C. c. smithersi B.P.Hall, 1956
  • Range: upper Zambezi river region
  • C. c. chiniana (A.Smith, 1843)
  • Range: central plateau of southern Africa
  • C. c. frater Reichenow, 1916
  • Range: Namibia
  • C. c. campestris Gould, 1845
  • Range: eastern coastal plain of southern Africa

    References

    Rattling cisticola Wikipedia