Levaillant's Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Levaillant's Cisticola

Cisticola tinniens (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1842)

11 gWeight

Levaillant's cisticola (Cisticola tinniens), also known as the tinkling cisticola, is a small passerine bird which is native to marshlands in the uplands of Africa, southwards of the equator.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Eswatini

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Levaillant's Cisticola has been recorded at 86 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa2,457 records
  2. Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa948 records
  3. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa819 records
More places
  1. Rondevlei NRSouth Africa692 records
  2. PaardevleiSouth Africa465 records
  3. West Coast NPSouth Africa369 records
  4. West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa360 records
  5. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa355 records
  6. Rietvlei Wetlands ReserveSouth Africa329 records
  7. Kirstenhof WetlandSouth Africa295 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaZimbabweEswatiniLesothoKenyaMalawi

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

Levaillant's cisticola (Cisticola tinniens), also known as the tinkling cisticola, is a small passerine bird which is native to marshlands in the uplands of Africa, southwards of the equator.

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

Questions

How big is the Levaillant's Cisticola?

The Levaillant's Cisticola weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Levaillant's Cisticola live?

Its breeding range: Africa: east-central, southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini.

When is the best time to see the Levaillant's Cisticola?

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

Is the Levaillant's Cisticola endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Levaillant's Cisticola as Least Concern.

What does the Levaillant's Cisticola eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Levaillant's Cisticola in?

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

At a glance

Weight
11 g
Habitat
Wetland
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
18 mm

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

Range

Africa: east-central, southern

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
Levaillant's Cisticola

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

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