Grey-backed Cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla)
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Grey-backed Cisticola

Cisticola subruficapilla (Smith, A, 1843)

13–14 cmLength9.9 gWeight

The grey-backed cisticola or red-headed cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) is a small passerine bird.

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Angola

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Grey-backed Cisticola has been recorded at 29 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Rooi-ElsSouth Africa1,156 records
  2. West Coast NPSouth Africa598 records
  3. West Coast NP – Seeberg hideSouth Africa299 records
More places
  1. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa220 records
  2. Table Mt. NP – Cape Point SectionSouth Africa204 records
  3. De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa199 records
  4. West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa135 records
  5. West Coast NP – Abrahamskraal hideSouth Africa134 records
  6. Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa133 records
  7. Macassar Sewage WorksSouth Africa126 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaNamibiaAngola

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 grey-backed cisticola or red-headed cisticola (Cisticola subruficapilla) is a small passerine bird. This cisticola is a resident breeder in southernmost Angola, Namibia and western South Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Grey-backed Cisticola?

The Grey-backed Cisticola is about 13–14 cm long and weighs around 9.9 g.

Where does the Grey-backed Cisticola live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southwestern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Angola.

When is the best time to see the Grey-backed Cisticola?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Grey-backed Cisticola endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Grey-backed Cisticola as Least Concern.

What does the Grey-backed Cisticola eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Grey-backed Cisticola in?

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

At a glance

Length
13–14 cm
Weight
9.9 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
53 mm
Tail
55 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
17 mm

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

Range

Africa: southwestern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Cisticolas & Allies Cisticolidae
Genus
Cisticola

Other birds in the genus Cisticola

Red-faced CisticolaRed-faced CisticolaCisticola erythropsSinging CisticolaSinging CisticolaCisticola cantansWhistling CisticolaWhistling CisticolaCisticola lateralisTrilling CisticolaTrilling CisticolaCisticola woosnamiChattering CisticolaChattering CisticolaCisticola anonymusBubbling CisticolaBubbling CisticolaCisticola bulliensHunter's CisticolaHunter's CisticolaCisticola hunteriChubb's CisticolaChubb's CisticolaCisticola chubbiKilombero CisticolaKilombero CisticolaCisticola bakerorumBlack-lored CisticolaBlack-lored CisticolaCisticola nigrilorisRock-loving CisticolaRock-loving CisticolaCisticola aberransHuambo CisticolaHuambo CisticolaCisticola bailunduensis
Grey-backed Cisticola

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

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