Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Levaillant’s Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
Levaillant's Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Levaillant’s Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 11.4 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 tinniens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Levaillant’s Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF ec, s.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.4 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Levaillant’s Cisticola?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 11.4 g.
Where does the Levaillant’s Cisticola live?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF ec, s, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Levaillant’s Cisticola belong to?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Levaillant’s Cisticola eat?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Levaillant’s Cisticola migrate?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Levaillant’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 Levaillant’s Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Levaillant’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 Levaillant’s Cisticola's range?
The Levaillant’s Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 1.8 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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