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Wailing Cisticola | Cisticola lais
The Wailing Cisticola is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Cisticolidae bird family group which includes birds such as African Warblers. The description for the Wailing Cisticola (Latin name Cisticola lais) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Cisticola lais can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 670 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 830. You will find a picture of the Wailing Cisticola on page 912. NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any. There have been no changes in the common name between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Wailing Cisticola between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition The Wailing Cisticola is known in Afrikaans as Huiltinktinkie. The Wailing Cisticola has a height of 14 cms and weighs around 15 gms. The head is coloured brown while the bill is coloured black. The Cisticola lais has a white coloured throat, blue, pink legs and a brown coloured back. The eyes are red. Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts. Head is brown Eyes are red Bill is black Legs are blue, pink Throat is white Back is brown Feeding Habits ...This bird forages for food on the ground The Wailing Cisticola is usually seen hunting for food within the tree foliage This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten . Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...The Wailing Cisticola is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 to 4 eggs and they are coloured red, brown. The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae. The bird is mainly found in the Savanna grasslands where it breeds and feeds. The bird is found in the African bushveld Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...The Wailing Cisticola is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild. This bird is usually seen in small family groups or in large flocks |
