Whistling Cisticola
Cisticola lateralis
The Whistling Cisticola (Cisticola lateralis) is a rare cisticola found in 22 countries, weighing about 17 g. The whistling cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.









About the Whistling Cisticola
The whistling cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is native to the African tropical rainforest and adjacent areas. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and moist savanna.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The whistling cisticola is a mid-sized bird that has a body length of 13–16 cm with a male weight of 14-21 grams, and female weight of 12-19 grams. A breeding, male cisticola is described to have gray-brown cheeks and a sooty-brown crown and underparts. Its tail is also a gray-brown color with the main body being mostly dark brown, with hints of reddish-brown. Also, the majority of males consist of a white colored throat, black bill, and dull pink legs. When male cisticolas are non-breeding, they appear a more reddish-brown color, have a richer buff below, and a gray color on their breast.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Whistling Cisticola can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Whistling Cisticola?
- The whistling cisticola is a mid-sized bird that has a body length of 13–16 cm with a male weight of 14-21 grams, and female weight of 12-19 grams. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Whistling Cisticola?
- The Whistling Cisticola is a small sized bird weighing about 17 g.
- Where can you see a Whistling Cisticola?
- The Whistling Cisticola occurs in 22 countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, the Gambia and Liberia.
- What birds look similar to a Whistling Cisticola?
- The Whistling Cisticola is most easily confused with the Pectoral-patch Cisticola, the Pale-crowned Cisticola and the Stout Cisticola.
- Is the Whistling Cisticola endangered?
- The Whistling Cisticola is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Whistling Cisticola for real
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