Golden-headed Cisticola

The golden-headed cisticola is omnivorous, primarily eating invertebrates such as insects and small slugs, but also eating grass seeds. It typically forages on the ground for food, hiding from its prey among various plants, such as grass, and moving slowly. It usually inhabits a single place throughout its life, but habitat changes sometimes cause it to move to a different location. Records from New Guinea and Tasmania have shown it to be a wandering bird, and it possibly undergoes partial migration in China. It is often difficult to detect in the non-breeding season, which has made it difficult analyze when it travels to different areas. It produces a variety of sounds distinct from other birds, which, according to the Sunshine Coast Council, range from a "teewip" to a "wheezz, whit-whit". It is most often found single or in small flocks, but outside of the breeding season groups can be larger.

The golden-headed cisticola has a very large range and population, covering Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Its extent of occurrence is estimated to be 36,800,000 square kilometres (14,200,000 sq mi), and it is the most common species of cisticola in Australia and from India to the Philippines. Based on reports of its population in individual countries, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) believes that the golden-headed cisticola's population is increasing globally. Its population density varies across regions – in most areas, about 2–6 birds are found in a single hectare, while in Kimberley, Western Australia, as many as 27 birds can be in a hectare. Due to its wide range and increasing population, the IUCN Red List lists it as a species of least concern. The species' habitat can be grassy hills, savannas, woodlands, scrublands, rivers, wetlands, or irrigated farmland, in areas where the grass is tall and thick. With the exception of the breeding season, the species mostly prefers to be near the ground. In Northern Australia, fires can occur in grasslands, causing it to sometimes live in forest edge habitats. According to the scientific journal BioLife, it lives at altitudes of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or less, although the Handbook of the Birds of the World says that it can live up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in China and 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) on the island of Lombok.

Not globally threatened.