Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
- GenusCisticola (Cisticolas)
- SpeciesCisticola tinniens (Levaillant's Cisticola)
About the Levaillant's Cisticola
Levaillant's cisticola (Cisticola tinniens), also known as the tinkling cisticola, is a small passerine bird which is native to marshlands in the uplands of Africa, southwards of the equator. Levaillant's cisticola was formally described in 1842 by the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein under the binomial name Malurus tinniens. The type locality is the Vaal River in South Africa. The specific epithet tinniens is Latin meaning "tinkling" or "ringing". Levaillant's cisticola is now one of 53 species placed in the genus Cisticola that was introduced in 1829 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup.
The Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith also described Levaillant's cisticola in 1842. He chose the binomial name Drymoica levallantii where the specific epithet honoured the memory of the French naturalist François Levaillant. The name Drymoica levallantii Smith, 1842 is now considered to be a junior synonym of Malurus tinniens Lichtenstein, 1842. In 1876 the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe used the English name "Le Vaillant's Fantail Warbler" in the second edition of Edgar Layard's The Birds of South Africa.
Six subspecies are recognised: C. t. dyleffi Prigogine... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Wailing Cisticola
Cisticola lais
Wing-snapping Cisticola
Cisticola ayresii
Piping Cisticola
Cisticola fulvicapilla
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Rock-loving Cisticola
Cisticola aberrans
Cloud Cisticola
Cisticola textrix
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Cisticola cinnamomeus
Rattling Cisticola
Cisticola chiniana
Gray Cisticola
Cisticola rufilatus
Red-headed Cisticola
Cisticola subruficapilla
Drakensberg Prinia
Prinia hypoxantha
Karoo Prinia
Prinia maculosa
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Levaillant's Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Levaillant's Cisticola sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Levaillant's Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Levaillant's Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.