The short-winged cisticola, also known as the siffling cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from West Africa through the Sahel and savannas to East and south‑central Africa. Favors open habitats with tall grasses, rank herbage, and edges of wetlands or floodplains. Also uses fallow fields, roadside grasslands, and lightly cultivated areas with sufficient cover. Avoids dense forest and extremely arid, unvegetated zones. Often stays low in vegetation, making it inconspicuous despite being common.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the siffling cisticola, this small warbler is widespread across sub‑Saharan Africa and is often heard before it is seen. It builds a neat, domed nest by stitching leaves and grasses together with spider silk. Males perform brief, bouncing display flights while delivering a thin, whistled song. Its plumage can look plainer or more streaked depending on wear and season, which can complicate identification.
Temperament
secretive but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bouncing display flights
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs; forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season. Males defend small territories and sing from exposed perches or during brief display flights. The nest is a domed structure hidden low in grasses, constructed with woven plant material and spider silk. Both parents typically care for the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched siffling sequence, often rendered as repeated 'siff-siff' notes, delivered from a perch or during a short aerial display. Calls include soft chips and tsip notes given from within cover. Song carries well over grasslands, especially at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Upperparts warm brown to sandy with darker streaking, especially on the back; underparts pale buff to whitish with warmer buff flanks. Short, rounded wings and a relatively short, graduated tail with darker subterminal band and pale tips. In fresh plumage it appears cleaner and less streaked; worn birds look more streaked and contrasty.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants, termites, and caterpillars, as well as spiders and other arthropods. Forages by gleaning from grass stems and low shrubs, occasionally sallying short distances to catch disturbed prey. Often picks prey from seed heads and leaf surfaces. Will take advantage of insect emergences after rains.
Preferred Environment
Forages in tall or rank grasses, along edges of wetlands, and in savanna or fallow agricultural fields with sufficient cover. Stays close to the ground or mid-grass levels, moving quickly and unobtrusively through vegetation.
