Black-backed cisticola

The black-backed cisticola or black-necked cisticola is a species of passerine bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.

Distribution

Region

Sahel and Sudanian savanna of sub-Saharan Africa

Typical Environment

Occurs from West Africa (e.g., Senegal and Guinea-Bissau) east across the Sahel and Sudanian savannas through Nigeria and Chad to South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and into western Tanzania and the Congo Basin. It favors open lowland grasslands, including tall savannas, floodplains, and seasonally inundated meadows. The species also uses fallow fields and the fringes of wetlands with rank grasses and sedges. It avoids dense forest and very arid desert, tracking green grass growth after rains.

Altitude Range

0–1800 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size11–13 cm

Wing Span12–15 cm

Male Weight0.011 kg

Female Weight0.01 kg

Life Expectancy4 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Also known as the black-necked cisticola, this small warbler of the grasslands performs conspicuous song-flights, fluttering up and parachuting down while calling. It weaves a neat, domed nest low in standing grasses, often stitched together with spider silk and fine plant fibers. Its voice is a dry, insect-like trill that carries over open country.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

skulking but vocal

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering display

Social Behavior

Typically found in pairs or small family groups, becoming strongly territorial in the breeding season. The male sings from exposed grass stems or bushes and performs display flights over the territory. The nest is a small domed or purse-shaped structure bound to grass stems with spider silk, with a clutch of 2–4 eggs. Breeding often follows seasonal rains when grasses are tall.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A high, dry, insect-like series of ticks and trills, repeated at regular intervals. During song-flights, the call becomes a buzzy, mechanical-sounding trill delivered while fluttering upward and as it parachutes down.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

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