Levaillant's Cisticola
A species of Cisticolas Scientific name : Cisticola tinniens Genus : Cisticolas
Levaillant's Cisticola, A species of Cisticolas
Botanical name: Cisticola tinniens
Genus: Cisticolas
Content
Description General Info
Description
The Levaillant's cisticola is a small, 12–15 cm long, dull-coloured bird with a longish tail and a reddish cap. The upperparts of the breeding adult are grey, heavily streaked with black, and with a rufous panel in the folded wing The supercilium, face and underparts are buffy white and the tail is russet brown. The short straight bill is blackish-brown with a pinkish base, and the feet and legs are pinkish-brown. The eye is light brown. Non-breeding adults are browner-backed, and juvenile birds have yellower underparts. The calls include a musical chrip-trrrup-trreee, a wailing tee tee tee and harsh alarm notes. 
Size
14 cm
Nest Placement
Shrub
Feeding Habits
Levaillant's Cisticola primarily consumes a varied diet of small insects like beetles, ants, caterpillars, and termites, with occasional seeds and berries. Levaillant's Cisticola forages low in vegetation, often near water, hunting alone or in small groups. Unique foraging includes underside searching of aquatic plants.
Habitat
Levaillant's Cisticola predominantly thrives in wetland areas rich in dense vegetation like reedbeds and rank grasses, often near rivers or water bodies. It adapts to both highland regions, typically above 2000 meters in Eastern Africa and above 1000 meters in Central Africa, and at sea level in South Africa. This species is versatile, also occupying moist grasslands, bamboo thickets, and shrubby areas.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
Levaillant's cisticola is usually seen in pairs, singly, or in small family parties. Flitting through the grass as it forages for small insects. It is vocal and conspicuous, perching on the top of tall grass stems and reeds and making its alarm call.
Distribution Area
The cisticola is a resident breeder in eastern Africa from Kenya to eastern South Africa. It is common in reedbeds, sedges, rank grass, and similar wet habitats usually near rivers or dams.
Species Status
This common species has a large range, with an estimated extent of 1,400,000 km². The population size is believed to be large, and the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as least concern.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Cisticolas and allies Genus
Cisticolas Species
Levaillant's Cisticola 
Download Picture Bird
Identify any bird by photo or sound in seconds
Identify any bird by photo or sound in seconds
.jpg){kind=link}