long tail; streaked flanks; grey-streaked back (South Africa; 2007-06-20)


Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens

Native Range: Africa

Notes: cisticolas comprise a large family (Cisticolidae) with more than 100 species in Africa and Australasia; they are small warbler-like or sparrow-like birds mostly inhabiting dry grasslands; usually found alone or in pairs; many of these species are secretive and difficult to distinguish in the field; insectivorous; usually not sexually dimorphic; like many other cisticolas, Levaillant's Cisticola has a long tail; native to extreme southern and south-central Africa.

frontal view; creamy-white below; rufous crown (South Africa; 2007-06-20)
buffy colored face and buffy eye-stripe (South Africa; 2007-06-20)

dorsal view; black-and-grey-streaked back (South Africa; 2007-06-20)
very rare picture of this species in flight (South Africa; 2007-06-20)