Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wailing Cisticola
Cisticola lais
Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais) — 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 Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.8 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 lais
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wailing Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Wailing Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.8 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 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 882,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wailing Cisticola?
The Wailing Cisticola is a very small bird that weighs around 14.8 g.
Where does the Wailing Cisticola live?
The Wailing Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Wailing Cisticola belong to?
The Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Wailing Cisticola eat?
The Wailing Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Wailing Cisticola migrate?
The Wailing Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Wailing 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 Wailing Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Wailing 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 Wailing Cisticola's range?
The Wailing Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 882,000 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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