Golden-headed Cisticola

Cisticola exilis (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)

9–12 cmLength7 gWeight

It is usually found in tall, dense grass; in the breeding season, the male has a golden body, a golden-orange head and a shorter tail.

Busiest months: January and October · Most records: Australia, China, Thailand

Looks like Zitting Cisticola

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Male in the breeding season has a golden-orange head and golden body
Shorter tail in the breeding season
In the non-breeding season, back rufous with black or dark brown markings
In the non-breeding season, belly cream and throat white

Male, female and young

The male has a golden body and golden-orange head in the breeding season; sexes similar in the non-breeding season; juveniles resemble adults but are paler.

Voice

Varied calls, ranging from “teewip” to “wheezz, whit-whit”.

Similar species

Zitting Cisticola

Zitting Cisticola lacks the “rich golden” head of Golden-headed Cisticola.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January and October · Most records: Australia, China, Thailand

Golden-headed Cisticola has been recorded at 505 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 14 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Western Treatment PlantAustralia8,177 records
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia5,003 records
Oxley Creek CommonAustralia4,584 records

More places

Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia2,667 records
Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia2,373 records
Western Treatment Plant – T Section PondsAustralia2,038 records
Kedron Brook Wetlands ReserveAustralia1,373 records
Dandenong Valley WetlandAustralia1,363 records
Western Treatment Plant – Western LagoonsAustralia1,177 records
Landing Lights WetlandAustralia1,049 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia China Thailand Cambodia Laos Philippines Indonesia India

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 golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis), also known as the bright-capped cisticola, is a species of warbler in the family Cisticolidae, found in Australia and thirteen Asian countries. Growing to 9–11.5 cm (3.5–4.5 in) long, it is usually brown and cream in colour, but has a different appearance during the mating season, with a gold-coloured body and a much shorter tail. It is an omnivore and frequently makes a variety of vocalizations.

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

Questions

How big is the Golden-headed Cisticola?

The Golden-headed Cisticola is about 9–12 cm long and weighs around 7 g.

Where does the Golden-headed Cisticola live?

Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: southwestern India to southeastern China, Taiwan (China), Philippines, Australia and Bismarck Archipelago. It is most often recorded in Australia, China and Thailand.