Winding Cisticola
Winding CisticolaWinding CisticolaWinding CisticolaWinding Cisticola

Winding Cisticola

Cisticola marginatus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Meru National Park
5 Verified sightings at Meru National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,868 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Winding Cisticola

The winding cisticola (Cisticola marginatus) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It has a scattered distribution across Africa south of the Sahara, and north of 11°S. The winding cisticola has several subspecies:

C. m. amphilectus Reichenow, 1875 Mauritania and Senegal to Ghana, south-western Cameroon and north-western Angola C. m. zalingei Lynes, 1930 northern Nigeria to western Sudan C. m. marginatus (Heuglin, 1869) southern Sudan and northern Uganda

C. m. nyansae Neumann, 1905 central DRCongo to Uganda and Kenya C. m. suahelicus Neumann, 1905 south-eastern DRCongo, Tanzania and north-eastern Zambia The Clements list (2017) and the Howard and Moore list (2014) lump the rufous-winged cisticola, Luapula cisticola, coastal cisticola and Ethiopian cisticola with the above subspecies as the winding cisticola Cisticola galactotes (sensu lato). The Clements list (2017) recognizes 11 subspecies.

Its natural habitats are tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland and swamps. Media related to Cisticola marginatus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Cisticola marginatus at Wikispecies Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Meru National Park

Ashy Cisticola
LC

Ashy Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola cinereolus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Tiny Cisticola
LC

Tiny Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola nana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Zitting Cisticola
LC

Zitting Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola juncidis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Coastal Cisticola
LC

Coastal Cisticola

Bird

Cisticola haematocephalus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Rattling Cisticola
LC

Rattling Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola chiniana

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Desert Cisticola
LC

Desert Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola aridulus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Gray Wren-Warbler
LC

Gray Wren-Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calamonastes simplex

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Green-backed Camaroptera
LC

Green-backed Camaroptera

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Camaroptera brachyura

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Yellow-breasted Apalis
LC

Yellow-breasted Apalis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apalis flavida

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Tawny-flanked Prinia
LC

Tawny-flanked Prinia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prinia subflava

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Pale Prinia
LC

Pale Prinia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prinia somalica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Yellow-bellied Eremomela
LC

Yellow-bellied Eremomela

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eremomela icteropygialis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
2 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
3 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
4 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
5 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
7 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
8 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
9 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
10 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%
11 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
12 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
13 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
14 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
15 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
16 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
17 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
18 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~10%
19 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
20 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
21 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
22 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
23 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
24 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
25 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
26 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
27 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
28 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
29 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Winding Cisticola in Meru National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Winding Cisticola sighting in Meru National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Winding Cisticola in Meru National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Winding Cisticola in Meru National Park in our monthly data.

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