Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
- GenusCisticola (Cisticolas)
- SpeciesCisticola juncidis (Zitting Cisticola)
About the Zitting Cisticola
The zitting cisticola, formerly also fan-tailed warbler or streaked fantail warbler (Cisticola juncidis), is a widely distributed Old World warbler in the family Cisticolidae, whose breeding range includes western and southern Europe, Africa outside the deserts and rainforest, and southern Asia down to northern Australia. A small bird found mainly in grasslands, it is best identified by its rufous rump; in addition it lacks any gold on the collar and the brownish tail is tipped with white. During the breeding season males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zit" calls that give it its English name. They build their pouch nest suspended within a clump of grass.
The zitting cisticola was described by the naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1810 and given the binomial name Sylvia juncidis. The type locality is Campofelice di Roccella in Sicily. The current genus name Cisticola is from Ancient Greek kisthos, "rock-rose", and Latin colere, "to dwell". The specific juncidis is also from Latin and is a diminutive of iuncus, "reed".
A total of 17 subspecies are currently accepted; they fall into two main groups, with... 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
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Zitting Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Zitting Cisticola sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Zitting Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Zitting Cisticola in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.