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Boran Cisticola Cisticola bodessa 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

13–14 cm; male 21 g, female 14 g. A medium-large, streak-backed cisticola with fairly long graduated tail. Male nominate race has lores whitish, extending slightly above eye as short supercilium, cheek grey-brown; crown brown, washed rufous and streaked dark brown, merging into grey-brown upperparts, streaked blackish-brown on mantle and back, rump only lightly streaked; flight-feathers dark brown with buff margins, upperwing-coverts dark brown, broadly margined rufous-buff; tail brown with darker subterminal band and buffy-grey tips, pattern less distinct on central pair of feathers; buffy below, whitish on throat and central belly, washed olive-grey on flanks; iris reddish-brown; bill and mouth blackish; legs dull pink. Distinguished from very similar C. chiniana by browner crown, less heavily streaked upperparts, but mainly by voice. Female is somewhat smaller than male, with paler mouth. Juvenile has pale yellow wash on face and underparts. Race kaffensis is duller and darker above than nominate, lacking rufous on crown, underparts richer buff, with darker flanks.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Cisticola bodessa bodessa Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N Eritrea, SE South Sudan, S Ethiopia and Kenya.
SUBSPECIES

Cisticola bodessa kaffensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Gibe Valley, in C Ethiopia.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Confined to Somali-Masai biome; occurs on rocky hillsides with sparse grassland and shrubs, grassy savanna, clearings in juniper (Juniperus) woodland and forest edges; at 900–2100 m, mainly above 1500 m, but below 1200 m in Sudan. Often in wetter habitats than those preferred by C. chiniana, but in Nechisar National Park, in Ethiopia, the two occupy very similar habitats, differing only in that present species prefers sloping sites.

Movement

Little known; presumably mostly resident.

Diet and Foraging

Diet mainly insects. Forages 1–3 m up in vegetation.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Male song, from elevated perch, often atop a tall tree, a rapid series of notes lasting 1·5–2 seconds, accelerating and often descending in pitch, “chik-chik-chik-chewechewechewechewe­chewe”, “tchip tchip tchip chipichu-uuuuuuuuu” or “ti-ti-ti tíiiiiiiiiiiiiiiéw”. Alarm a hard “chip” or “tsip”.

Breeding

Season Apr–Jun, possibly also Sept–Nov. Probably monogamous; solitary, territorial. Male sings from a high perch, usually 3–10 m above ground in Kenya. Nest ball-shaped, with side entrance, made of coarse grass or grass and lichens, lined with plant down, built 0·15–0·25 m up in low herbs. Clutch 4 eggs; no information on incubation and nestling periods.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Locally fairly common; status difficult to assess in many areas owing to widespread confusion with C. chiniana. Occurs in Nechisar National Park, in Ethiopia.
Distribution of the Boran Cisticola - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Boran Cisticola

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Ryan, P. (2020). Boran Cisticola (Cisticola bodessa), 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.borcis1.01
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