Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Whistling Cisticola
Cisticola lateralis
Whistling Cisticola (Cisticola lateralis) — 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 Whistling Cisticola (Cisticola lateralis) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16.8 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 lateralis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Whistling 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 uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Whistling Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Whistling Cisticola (Cisticola lateralis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.8 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 5.2 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 3.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Whistling Cisticola?
The Whistling Cisticola is a small bird that weighs around 16.8 g.
Where does the Whistling Cisticola live?
The Whistling Cisticola is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Whistling Cisticola belong to?
The Whistling Cisticola (Cisticola lateralis) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Whistling Cisticola eat?
The Whistling Cisticola is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Whistling Cisticola migrate?
The Whistling Cisticola is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Whistling 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 Whistling Cisticola make?
1 real field recording of the Whistling Cisticola — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Whistling Cisticola's range?
The Whistling Cisticola has a mapped global range of about 3.1 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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