Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Wailing Cisticola

Cisticola lais (Hartlaub & Finsch, 1870)

15 gWeight

The wailing cisticola (Cisticola lais) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Lesotho, Angola

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Lesotho, Angola

Wailing Cisticola has been recorded at 48 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa319 records
  2. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa225 records
  3. Malolotja Nature ReserveEswatini82 records
More places
  1. TundavalaAngola70 records
  2. Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa64 records
  3. Sani Pass (LS) to Black MountainsLesotho51 records
  4. Sani PassLesotho45 records
  5. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa36 records
  6. SeldomseenZimbabwe32 records
  7. Nyika National ParkMalawi31 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaLesothoAngolaEswatiniMalawiZimbabweTanzania

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 wailing cisticola (Cisticola lais) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

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

Questions

How big is the Wailing Cisticola?

The Wailing Cisticola weighs around 15 g.

Where does the Wailing Cisticola live?

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

When is the best time to see the Wailing Cisticola?

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

Is the Wailing Cisticola endangered?

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

What does the Wailing Cisticola eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Wailing Cisticola in?

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

At a glance

Weight
15 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
60 mm
Tail
50 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

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

Range

Africa: 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

Wailing Cisticola

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

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