Rock-loving Cisticola
Cisticola aberrans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
- GenusCisticola (Cisticolas)
- SpeciesCisticola aberrans (Rock-loving Cisticola)
About the Rock-loving Cisticola
The rock-loving cisticola (Cisticola aberrans), also known as the lazy cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa and is usually associated with rocky wooded terrain with interspersed patchy grass tussocks. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Huambo cisticola (Cisticola bailunduensis).
The rock-loving cisticola was formally described and illustrated in 1843 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith under the binomial name Drymoica aberrans based on specimens collected near "Port Natal" (now Durban) in South Africa. The specific epithet is from Latin aberrans, aberrantis meaning "deviating" or "aberrant". The rock-loving cisticola is now one of 53 cisticolas placed in the genus Cisticola that was introduced in 1829 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup.
Seven subspecies are recognised: C. a. admiralis Bates, GL, 1930 – south Mauritania to Mali, Ghana and Sierra Leone C. a. petrophilus Alexander, 1907 – north Nigeria to southwest Sudan, northeast DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
C. a. emini Reichenow, 1892 – south Kenya and north Tanzania C. a. nyika Lynes, 1930 – Zambia and southwest... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
Wailing Cisticola
Cisticola lais
Wing-snapping Cisticola
Cisticola ayresii
Piping Cisticola
Cisticola fulvicapilla
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
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 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 12 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rock-loving Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rock-loving Cisticola sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rock-loving Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Rock-loving Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.