Photo: Joseph Mochoge / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tiny Cisticola
Cisticola nana
Tiny Cisticola (Cisticola nana) — 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 Tiny Cisticola (Cisticola nana) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 5 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 nana
Where it lives
Northern Uganda, Ethiopia and western Somalia through Kenya and northeastern Tanzania
Quick facts
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tiny 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 Tiny Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tiny Cisticola (Cisticola nana) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF n Uganda, Ethiopia and w Somalia through Kenya and ne Tanzania.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 5 g, with a wing length of about 4.5 cm and a tail of around 3.3 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 685,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tiny Cisticola?
The Tiny Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 5 g.
Where does the Tiny Cisticola live?
The Tiny Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF n Uganda, Ethiopia and w Somalia through Kenya and ne Tanzania, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Tiny Cisticola belong to?
The Tiny Cisticola (Cisticola nana) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Tiny Cisticola eat?
The Tiny Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Tiny Cisticola migrate?
The Tiny Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tiny 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 Tiny Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Tiny 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 Tiny Cisticola's range?
The Tiny Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 685,000 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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Guides for this bird
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