Photo: Ricky Goodyear / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden-headed Cisticola
Cisticola exilis
Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
- Genus Cisticola
- Species exilis
Where it lives
Southwestern India to southeastern China, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia and Bismarck Arch.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden-headed Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Golden-headed Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, AU sw India to se China, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia and Bismarck Arch.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7 g, with a wing length of about 4.5 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden-headed Cisticola?
The Golden-headed Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 7 g.
Where does the Golden-headed Cisticola live?
The Golden-headed Cisticola is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, AU sw India to se China, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia and Bismarck Arch, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Golden-headed Cisticola belong to?
The Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Golden-headed Cisticola eat?
The Golden-headed Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Golden-headed Cisticola migrate?
The Golden-headed Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden-headed Cisticola endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Golden-headed Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Golden-headed Cisticola — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Golden-headed Cisticola's range?
The Golden-headed Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 7.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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