Red-faced Cisticola
Red-faced CisticolaRed-faced CisticolaRed-faced CisticolaRed-faced Cisticola

Red-faced Cisticola

Cisticola erythrops

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Masai Mara National Reserve
19 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
3,541 Verified sightings across all 41 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Red-faced Cisticola

The red-faced cisticola (Cisticola erythrops) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widely present across sub-Saharan Africa (rare in southern Africa). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland and swamps.

The red-faced cisticola was formally described in 1857 by the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub under the binomial name Drymoeca erythrops based on a specimen collected near Calabar in Nigeria. The specific epithet erythrops combines the Ancient Greek ερυθρος/eruthros meaning "red" with ωψ/ōps meaning "eye" or "face". The red-faced cisticola is now one of 53 species placed in the genus Cisticola that was introduced in 1829 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup.

Six subspecies are recognised: Cisticola erythrops erythrops (Hartlaub, 1857) – Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to Central African Republic, Congo and Gabon Cisticola erythrops pyrrhomitra Reichenow, 1916 – southeast Sudan and Ethiopia

Cisticola erythrops niloticus Madarász, G, 1914 – central Sudan Cisticola erythrops sylvia Reichenow, 1904 – northeast DR Congo and south Sudan to Kenya and central Tanzania Cisticola erythrops nyasa Lynes... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

Rattling Cisticola
LC

Rattling Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola chiniana

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Stout Cisticola
LC

Stout Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola robustus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Pectoral-patch Cisticola
LC

Pectoral-patch Cisticola

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Cisticola brunnescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Zitting Cisticola
LC

Zitting Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola juncidis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Winding Cisticola
LC

Winding Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola marginatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Croaking Cisticola
LC

Croaking Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola natalensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Tabora Cisticola
LC

Tabora Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola angusticauda

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ashy Cisticola
LC

Ashy Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola cinereolus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Desert Cisticola
LC

Desert Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola aridulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Trilling Cisticola
LC

Trilling Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola woosnami

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-necked Cisticola
LC

Black-necked Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola eximius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rock-loving Cisticola
LC

Rock-loving Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola aberrans

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
2 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
3 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
5 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
6 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
7 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
8 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
9 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
10 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
12 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
13 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
14 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
15 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
16 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
17 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
18 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
19 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
20 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
21 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
22 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
23 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
24 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
25 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
26 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
27 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
28 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
29 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
30 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
31 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
32 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
33 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
34 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
35 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
36 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
37 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
38 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
39 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
40 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
41 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Red-faced Cisticola in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-faced Cisticola sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Red-faced Cisticola in Masai Mara National Reserve?

April has the highest sighting rate for Red-faced Cisticola in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.

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