Rock-loving Cisticola (Cisticola aberrans)
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Rock-loving Cisticola

Cisticola aberrans (Smith, A, 1843)

13–14 cmLength14 gWeight

The rock-loving cisticola (Cisticola aberrans), also known as the lazy cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.

Most records: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Rock-loving Cisticola has been recorded at 88 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria321 records
  2. Angama LodgeKenya93 records
  3. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa77 records
More places
  1. Malolotja Nature ReserveEswatini54 records
  2. Walter Sisulu National Botanical GardenSouth Africa46 records
  3. Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa29 records
  4. Gosho ParkZimbabwe27 records
  5. Mutinondo WildernessZambia27 records
  6. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa27 records
  7. Phinda GR – AirfieldSouth Africa23 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaNigeriaKenyaEswatiniZimbabweMalawiZambiaGhana

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 rock-loving cisticola (Cisticola aberrans), also known as the lazy cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa and is usually associated with rocky wooded terrain with interspersed patchy grass tussocks. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Huambo cisticola (Cisticola bailunduensis).

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

Questions

How big is the Rock-loving Cisticola?

The Rock-loving Cisticola is about 13–14 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Rock-loving Cisticola live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, southeastern, eastern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

Is the Rock-loving Cisticola endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rock-loving Cisticola as Least Concern.

What does the Rock-loving Cisticola eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Rock-loving Cisticola in?

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

At a glance

Length
13–14 cm
Weight
14 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
53 mm
Tail
57 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Africa: western, central, southeastern, eastern

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 nigrilorisHuambo CisticolaHuambo CisticolaCisticola bailunduensisRattling CisticolaRattling CisticolaCisticola chiniana
Rock-loving Cisticola

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

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