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Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) Alternate name(s): "Streaked Cisticola", "Fan-tail Cisticola", "Streaked Grass-warbler", "Streaked Fantail Warbler" German name(s): "Zistensänger" Size: 10-12 cm; wing span: 12-15 cm Body mass: 6-10 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.14-0.17

Europe: Family Group 26 Family Group 26 Table Crested Lark Thekla's Lark Zitting Cisticola Great Reed Warbler Eurasian Reed Warbler Sedge Warbler Marsh Warbler Savi's Warbler Icterine Warbler Melodious Warbler Cetti's Warbler Moustached Warbler Redwing Fieldfare Mistle Thrush Song Thrush Ring Ouzel Common Blackbird Common Starling Spotless Starling Rosy Starling Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Zitting Cisticolas are small reed birds. Their plumage is cryptic, especially during the non-breeding season. During the breeding season, male Zitting Cisticolas have a brown crown and nape of the neck with faint dark-brown striation. The bill turns black. Females in breeding plumage have an heavily dark-brown streaked crown and back and a bright cinnamon rump. The bill remains mostly pale. During the non-breeding season the two sexes are indistinguishable, with heavily streaked upperparts. They also grow longer tails outside the breeding season. The eyes have dark-brown irises. Except in breeding males, the relatively long, slightly down-curved bill has a grey upper mandible; the lower mandible is horn-coloured. The legs and feet are greyish-pink.

Taxonomy, classification See Zitting Cisticola at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Zitting Cisticola is available HERE . There are 18 extant races of Zitting Cisticolas which, taken altogether, have a wide-ranging distribution - from large parts of Africa, south-western and western Europe in the West, via the Mediterranean, coastal parts of the Middle East and of Arabia, to much of India and on to much of south-eastern and eastern Asia. At the southern end, their range includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, New Guinea and northern Australia. In Europe two races of Zitting Cisticolas exist, both of which are sedentary. Nominate race "juncidis" populates southern France, Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Corsica and Egypt. In western Portugal and Spain race "cisticola" is found. Zitting Cisticolas have a preference for grassland or reeds.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cisticola" J. Pires reports spotting Zitting Cisticolas, race "cisticola", regularly in various locations in the area from the Tejo estuary to Mora, Evora, Portugal, and Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal. G. Pinelas reports finding a Zitting Cisticola, race "cisticola", in Landeiras, Setubal, Portugal, in December 2016. Race "leanyeri" Zitting Cisticolas, race "leanyeri" were found by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "cisticola"

ADULT

BREEDING

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
During the breeding season, male Zitting Cisticolas, left, have a dark, streaked crown and a black bill, both of which distinguish them from females. Outside the breeding season, male Zitting Cisticolas look the same as females.

MALE

Frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage; note the dark crown and the black bill
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in fresh breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Acude do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Acude do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]

Near-frontal view of a female Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2022]

Lateral view of a female Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage; note the pale bill and the prominent streaking on the crown
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2014]

Lateral view of a female Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Sex unknown

Full-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Landeiras, Setubal, Portugal, December 2016]

Frontal view of a preening Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage, exposing the black bases of its feathers
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Landeiras, Setubal, Portugal, December 2016]

Frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, November 2015]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage checking out the photographer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2022]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, October 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Aguas de Moura, Palmela, Setubal, Portugal, January 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Landeiras, Setubal, Portugal, December 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral view of a Zitting Cisticola moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2015]

Lateral view of a conspicuously red Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Zitting Cisticola in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Minutos Dam, near Montemor o Novo, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile(?) Zitting Cisticola (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Race "leanyeri"

Photos of Zitting Cisticolas, race "leanyeri" were taken by us in Australia.

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Aug

Eggs: 4 - 6

Incubation period: 12 - 14 days

Fledging age: 12 - 13 days

Zitting Cisticolas can have 2 to 3 broods per year. The species has the unusual trait that females reach sexual maturity at only 40 days of age. Being sedentary, this helps the species recover quickly from massive population losses during harsh winters.

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Plant down, grass, cobwebs

Height above ground: 0.2 - 1 m

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Zitting Cisticola nests can take a variety of shapes - from a conventional basket on a minor fork to a basket woven into a tussock of grass, sometimes with the top of the tussock bound together as a dome for protection from above.

Near-frontal view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage carrying nesting material (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Lateral view of a male Zitting Cisticola in breeding plumage carrying nesting material (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Eggs

Size: 16 x 12 mm

Colour: Light-grey, with sparse brownish speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a Zitting Cisticola with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

zitcist_jp_20201109.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls	© JP
zitcist_jp_20201109_2.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls	© JP
zitcist_jp_20200310.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls	© JP
zitcist_jp_20190608_3.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls (+ Spanish Sparrow)	© JP
zitcist_jp_20190608.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls (+ Spanish Sparrow)	© JP
zitcist_jp_20190608_2.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls Q&A (+ Spanish Sparrow)	© JP
zitcist_jp_20190608_4.m4a	cisticola (Portugal)	"Zitting" calls Q&A (+ Spanish Sparrow)	© JP
zitcist_pb_20201103.m4a	leanyeri (Top End, NT)	Interacting with Golden-headed Cisticola	© PB
zitcist_pb_20201103_2.m4a	leanyeri (Top End, NT)	Interacting with Golden-headed Cisticola	© PB
zitcist_pb_20201103_3.m4a	leanyeri (Top End, NT)	Interacting with Golden-headed Cisticola	© PB

More Zitting Cisticola sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.