
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
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
- Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa319 records
- Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa225 records
- Malolotja Nature ReserveEswatini82 records
More places
- TundavalaAngola70 records
- Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa64 records
- Sani Pass (LS) to Black MountainsLesotho51 records
- Sani PassLesotho45 records
- Rietvlei NRSouth Africa36 records
- SeldomseenZimbabwe32 records
- Nyika National ParkMalawi31 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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
Red-faced CisticolaCisticola erythrops
Singing CisticolaCisticola cantans
Whistling CisticolaCisticola lateralis
Trilling CisticolaCisticola woosnami
Chattering CisticolaCisticola anonymus
Bubbling CisticolaCisticola bulliens
Hunter's CisticolaCisticola hunteri
Chubb's CisticolaCisticola chubbi
Kilombero CisticolaCisticola bakerorum
Black-lored CisticolaCisticola nigriloris
Rock-loving CisticolaCisticola aberrans
Huambo CisticolaCisticola bailunduensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by cameron raffan. ↗
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