Coastal Cisticola (Cisticola haematocephalus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Coastal Cisticola

Cisticola haematocephalus Cabanis, 1868

13 gWeight

The coastal cisticola (Cisticola haematocephalus), also known as the umbabird, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.

Busiest months: May–July and October–November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Coastal Cisticola has been recorded at 7 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sabaki River EstuaryKenya205 records
  2. Nguuni Nature SanctuaryKenya86 records
  3. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest NRKenya66 records
More places
  1. Mida CreekKenya48 records
  2. East Usambara Mountains – Amani Nature ReserveTanzania7 records
  3. Selous Game Reserve – North SectorTanzania3 records
  4. Meru NPKenya3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzania

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The coastal cisticola (Cisticola haematocephalus), also known as the umbabird, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found on the coastal plain of East Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Coastal Cisticola?

The Coastal Cisticola weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Coastal Cisticola live?

Its breeding range: Africa: coastal Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Coastal Cisticola?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May, June, July, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Coastal Cisticola endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Coastal Cisticola as Least Concern.

What does the Coastal Cisticola eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Coastal Cisticola in?

It belongs to the family Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
13 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
54 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: coastal Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Cisticolas & Allies Cisticolidae
Genus
Cisticola

Other birds in the genus Cisticola

Coastal Cisticola

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Markus Lilje. ↗

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