Photo: Andrew Smith / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Croaking Cisticola
Cisticola natalensis
Croaking Cisticola (Cisticola natalensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Croaking Cisticola (Cisticola natalensis) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16.4 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 natalensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Data Deficient
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Croaking Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Croaking Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Croaking Cisticola (Cisticola natalensis) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.7 cm and a tail of around 5.1 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 8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Croaking Cisticola?
The Croaking Cisticola is a small bird that weighs around 16.4 g.
Where does the Croaking Cisticola live?
The Croaking Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Croaking Cisticola belong to?
The Croaking Cisticola (Cisticola natalensis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Croaking Cisticola eat?
The Croaking Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Croaking Cisticola migrate?
The Croaking Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Croaking 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 Croaking Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Croaking Cisticola — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Croaking Cisticola's range?
The Croaking Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 8 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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Guides for this bird
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