Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rattling Cisticola
Cisticola chiniana
Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) — 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 Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16.1 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 chiniana
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.1 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 Rattling 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 Rattling Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) is a member of the Cisticolidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, e, s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.1 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 5.4 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 6.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rattling Cisticola?
The Rattling Cisticola is a small bird that weighs around 16.1 g.
Where does the Rattling Cisticola live?
The Rattling Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, e, s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rattling Cisticola belong to?
The Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rattling Cisticola eat?
The Rattling Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rattling Cisticola migrate?
The Rattling Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rattling 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 Rattling Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Rattling 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 Rattling Cisticola's range?
The Rattling Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 6.7 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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