Photo by Alan Manson
Umkomaas Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, December 2007
- Cisticola natalensis
Identification
Length 15 cm. Heavy for a Cisticola; males 25 g, females 18 g
The crown and back are buffy brown with dark streaks and the flight feathers are brown, fringed rufous. The underparts are pale buff, and the legs and feet are pinkish brown. The dark bill is heavy and the eyes are brown.
The call, heavy build and large bill are useful diagnostic features.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa. Generally resident; some populations move seasonally.
Taxonomy
Variation in the colouration and streaking of the upperparts defines the different subspecies, but most are poorly differentiated. Authors recognise up to 9 races [2].
Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:
- C. n. strangei: Senegal to Cabinda, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya
- C. n. tonga: Sudan (White Nile and Blue Nile regions)
- C. n. inexpectatus: Highlands of Ethiopia
- C. n. argenteus: Southern Ethiopia and south-eastern Somalia to northern Kenya
- C. n. natalensis: Interior Tanzania to south-eastern Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa
- C. n. holubii: Extreme northern Botswana, extreme western Zimbabwe and adjacent southern Zambia
- C. n. katanga: South-western Tanzania, adjacent northern Malawi, north-eastern Zambia, south-eastern Zaire and north-eastern Angola
The IOC further recognises subspecies [3]:
- C. n. huambo: western and central Angola
Habitat
Open grassland and savanna; prefers rank vegetation.
Behaviour
Usually solitary. Inconspicuous and shy, except when calling (often from a prominent perch) in the breeding season.
Diet
Forages low in vegetation or on the ground, mainly for invertebrates, but also for seeds.
Vocalisation
The call is distinctive; a loud croak "q-RRRRP" which is about 1 second long, repeated every 2 seconds.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Croaking Cisticola. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Croaking_Cisticola
