Photo: Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dorst’s Cisticola
Cisticola guinea
Dorst's Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Dorst’s Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 9.3 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 guinea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dorst’s Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Dorst’s Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dorst’s Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Gambia and Senegal to Togo, c Nigeria and n Cameroon.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 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 647,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dorst’s Cisticola?
The Dorst’s Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 9.3 g.
Where does the Dorst’s Cisticola live?
The Dorst’s Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF Gambia and Senegal to Togo, c Nigeria and n Cameroon, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Dorst’s Cisticola belong to?
The Dorst’s Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Dorst’s Cisticola eat?
The Dorst’s Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Dorst’s Cisticola migrate?
The Dorst’s Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dorst’s 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 Dorst’s Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Dorst’s Cisticola — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Dorst’s Cisticola's range?
The Dorst’s Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 647,000 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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