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Coastal Cisticola Cisticola haematocephalus Scientific name definitions

Peter Ryan
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

11–13 cm; 10–12 g. A medium-small cisticola with streaked back and fairly long graduated tail. Has creamy-white face, slightly darker ear-coverts, dull rufous-brown crown; upperparts buffy grey, streaked dark brown on mantle and back, rump plain; flight-feathers and greater upperwing-coverts dark brown with rufous-buff margins (forming dull reddish wingpanel), remaining wing-coverts dark brown, broadly margined buffy grey; tail grey-brown with darker subterminal band and pale buffy-grey tips, pattern less distinct on central pair of feathers; creamy below, paler on throat and central belly, washed buff on flanks and vent; iris reddish-brown; bill and mouth black, base of lower mandible pinkish-grey; legs dull pink. Distinguished from C. marginatus by smaller size, paler and duller plumage, reduced and paler brown streaking on mantle and back, also crown less rufous and wingpanel less pronounced. Sexes similar, female somewhat smaller than male. Juvenile is similar to non-breeding adult, but has crown streaked dark brown, face and underparts washed lemon-yellow.

Systematics History

See C. galactotes (below). Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Coastal plain from S Somalia to NE Tanzania.

Habitat

Marshes and dry shrubland, including dune vegetation; also edges of dry cultivation.

Movement

Little known; presumably mostly resident.

Diet and Foraging

Diet mainly small insects.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Male song a bleating, upslurred “brrrrrríp”, repeated three times per second; also gives excited “tic titic tic tic titic tic...”, often while hovering in display flight.

Breeding

Breeds Apr–Jun and Nov–Dec. Probably monogamous; solitary, territorial. Male has short jerky display flight, flying on circular course at up to 15 m, before diving back to perch. Nest built in a few days, by both sexes, one (presumably female) doing most of building work, oval or ball-shaped, made from grass in framework of live grass leaves or other vegetation bound with spider web, variably lined with plant down, occasionally decorated on outside with cocoons and cotton bolls; 0·05–0·5 m above ground or over water in grass, herbs or small bush. Clutch 2–5 eggs (average 3·2); no information on incubation and nestling periods.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not assessed. Locally common to abundant. Has occasionally been killed during spraying operations targeted at roosts of Red-billed Queleas (Quelea quelea) in S Somalia.
Distribution of the Winding Cisticola (Coastal) - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Winding Cisticola (Coastal)

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Ryan, P. (2020). Coastal Cisticola (Cisticola haematocephalus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.wincis4.01
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