Levaillant's cisticola, also known as the tinkling cisticola, is a small passerine bird which is native to marshlands in the uplands of Africa, southwards of the equator.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Levaillant's cisticola inhabits marshes, reedbeds, wet grasslands, and the edges of dams and vleis from South Africa through Lesotho and Eswatini to parts of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It favors rank, moisture-rich vegetation where sedges and tall grasses provide cover. The species is common in upland marshes but also occurs at lower elevations where permanent water persists. It avoids arid interior regions lacking dense wetland plants. Human-made water bodies such as farm dams and wastewater ponds are readily used if vegetated.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2600 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the tinkling cisticola, it gets its name from its bright, metallic-sounding song. The species honors French naturalist François Levaillant. It often reveals itself by performing brief display flights from reeds before dropping back into cover. Nests are neat, ball-shaped structures stitched from grasses and spider silk, concealed low in dense vegetation.
Singing from a fence in marshland, South Africa
Temperament
secretive but vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bouncing display flights
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in territorial pairs within dense wetland vegetation. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season and defend small territories. The nest is a compact ball of grasses bound with spider silk, placed low in reeds or tall grass and lined with softer material.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A bright, metallic 'tinkling' series delivered from an exposed perch or during a brief fluttering display flight. Calls include sharp 'tsip' notes and quick trills, repeated persistently, especially at dawn and late afternoon.
