Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyCisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
GenusCisticola (Cisticolas)
SpeciesCisticola juncidis (Zitting Cisticola)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Gunung Leuser National Park

2 Verified sightings at Gunung Leuser National Park From 2019 to 2026

15,001 Verified sightings across all 93 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Gunung Leuser National Park

Orthotomus atrogularis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Orthotomus ruficeps

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Prinia flaviventris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

NT Endemic

Prinia familiaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Orthotomus sericeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Prinia superciliaris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Pycnonotus goiavier

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Pycnonotus brunneus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Pycnonotus aurigaster

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Rubigula erythropthalmos

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Anthreptes malacensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Aegithina tiphia

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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	Horton Plains National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~70%
2	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~40%
3	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~40%
4	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~30%
5	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
6	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
7	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
8	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
9	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~20%
10	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
11	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
13	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~20%
14	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~20%
15	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
16	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
17	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
18	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
19	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
20	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
21	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
22	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
23	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
24	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
25	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
26	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
27	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
28	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
29	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
30	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
31	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
32	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
33	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
34	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
35	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
36	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
37	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
38	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
39	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
40	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
41	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
42	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
43	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
44	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
45	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
46	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
47	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
48	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
49	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
50	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
51	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
52	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
53	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
54	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
55	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
56	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
57	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
58	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
59	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
60	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
61	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
62	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
63	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	<5%
64	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
65	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
66	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
67	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
68	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
69	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
70	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
71	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	Insufficient data
72	Cuc Phuong National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
73	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
74	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
75	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
76	Gunung Leuser National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
77	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
78	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
79	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
80	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
81	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
82	Langtang National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	Insufficient data
83	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	Insufficient data
84	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
85	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
86	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
87	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
88	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
89	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
90	Taman Negara National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
91	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
92	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
93	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data

← Back to Gunung Leuser National Park

Zitting Cisticola

About the Zitting Cisticola

Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Bar-winged Prinia

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird

Hill Prinia

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Red-eyed Bulbul

Sooty-headed Bulbul

Spectacled Bulbul

Brown-throated Sunbird

Common Iora

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found