Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-backed Cisticola
Cisticola subruficapilla
Grey-backed Cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-backed Cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 9.9 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 subruficapilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-backed Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey-backed Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-backed Cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.9 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 cm and a tail of around 5.5 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 911,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-backed Cisticola?
The Grey-backed Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 9.9 g.
Where does the Grey-backed Cisticola live?
The Grey-backed Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-backed Cisticola belong to?
The Grey-backed Cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-backed Cisticola eat?
The Grey-backed Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey-backed Cisticola migrate?
The Grey-backed Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-backed 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 Grey-backed Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-backed 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 Grey-backed Cisticola's range?
The Grey-backed Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 911,000 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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