The wing-snapping cisticola, also known as Ayres' cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.
Region
Eastern and Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in upland and montane grasslands, often on slopes with rank grass, bracken, or scattered shrubs. It favors tall, dense grasses and sedge-lined drainage lines, and is frequently found along the edges of marshes and vleis. After fires, it often recolonizes quickly as fresh green shoots appear. It keeps low in cover but males ascend above the grassland to display.
Altitude Range
900–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Ayres' cisticola, this small grassland warbler is named in honor of South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres. Males perform a characteristic aerial display in which they produce sharp, audible snaps by clapping their wings over the back. The species is notoriously cryptic in appearance but is often detected by its display flights and distinctive wing snaps. Its plumage varies subtly across its range, aiding camouflage in grassy habitats.
Temperament
secretive but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with hovering display flights
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family groups and strongly territorial during the breeding season. The nest is a ball-shaped structure of woven grasses placed low in dense vegetation. Pairs communicate with soft calls from cover, with the male performing aerial displays over the territory.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a thin, buzzy series of notes often delivered during a brief ascent followed by a parachuting descent. Distinctive, sharp wing-produced snaps or clicks punctuate the display flights, carrying well over grasslands.
Plumage
Warm brown, streaked upperparts with a more uniform, buffy to greyish underside; short, graduated tail with dark subterminal bars. Feathers are soft and cryptic, aiding concealment in grass.
Diet
Primarily small insects such as beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, and caterpillars; also takes spiders and other small arthropods. Forages by gleaning from grass stems and flower heads, occasionally making short sallies to capture flushed prey. Seeds are taken only opportunistically, if at all.
Preferred Environment
Feeds low within dense grasses, sedges, and bracken, often along damp edges of vleis, seeps, and drainage lines. Uses cover to move quietly, rarely venturing into open ground except during display.
