Alternative name: Fan-tailed Warbler
- Cisticola juncidis
Identification
10cm. Brown above, heavily streaked with black, white underparts, broad, white-tipped tail. The adult males have less crown streaking and more back marking than the females.
Distribution
Southern Europe, Africa outside the deserts and rainforest, and southern Asia down to northern Australia.
Taxonomy
This genus is sometimes split off with various other southern warbler genera and given family status as the Cisticolidae.
Habitat
Tall grassland habitats, often near water.
Behaviour
It is not particularly skulking for a warbler and can sometimes be seen flitting about, low in grassy places.
Nesting
The female builds a cup shaped nest deep in grasses, from living leaves, plant-down, cobwebs, and grass, with a canopy of tied-together leaves or grasses overhead for camouflage. 3-6 eggs are laid.
Vocalisation
The male has a most distinctive song-flight. It flies in circles about 20 ft above the ground, undulating considerably. At the top of each arc it gives a sort of 'zit' note.
<flashmp3>Cisticola juncidis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
