The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160

warbler Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers Th ...

s, small

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the

Old World warbler Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the ci ...

family

Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers and a number of babblers formerly placed within the Old World babbler family. They are found in Eurasia and Africa. Taxonomy and systematics The scientific name Sylvii ...

. This family probably originated in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, which has the majority of species, but there are representatives of the family across tropical

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

into

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

, and one species, the

zitting cisticola The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (''Cisticola juncidis'') is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Aus ...

, breeds in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. These are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub. They are often difficult to see and many species are similar in appearance, so the song is often the best identification guide. These are insectivorous birds which nest low in vegetation.

Taxonomy

The family was introduced (as Cisticolinae) by the Swedish zoologist

Carl Jakob Sundevall Carl Jakob Sundevall (22 October 1801, Högestad – 2 February 1875) was a Swedish zoologist. Sundevall studied at Lund University, where he became a Ph.D. in 1823. After traveling to East Asia, he studied medicine, graduating as Doctor of Me ...

in 1872. Many taxonomists place the

red-winged prinia The red-winged prinia or the red-winged warbler (''Prinia erythroptera'') is a bird species in the family Cisticolidae. It formerly belonged in the monotypic genus ''Heliolais''. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Repub ...

and the

red-fronted prinia The red-fronted prinia (''Prinia rufifrons''), also known as the red-fronted warbler and the red-faced apalis, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, ...

in the genus ''

Prinia Prinia is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The prinias are sometimes referred to as wren-warblers. They are a ...

'' rather than in their own

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

genera. Support for their placement in ''Prinia'' is provided by a molecular phylogenetic study of the Cisticolidae published in 2013 that found that both species were closely related to the

prinia Prinia is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The prinias are sometimes referred to as wren-warblers. They are a ...

List of genera

The family contains 167 species divided into 26 genera: For more detail, see List of Cisticolidae species. * ''

Neomixis ''Neomixis'' is a genus of small forest birds that are endemic to Madagascar. The genus was introduced by the English zoologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1881. The type species is the stripe-throated jery (''Neomixis striatigula''). The genus ...

'', jeries (3 species) (genus is basal to all other Cisticolidae) * ''

Cisticola __NOTOC__ Cisticolas (pronounced ''sis-TIC-olas'') are a genus of very small insectivorous birds formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family Cisticolidae, along with other ...

'', cisticolas (53 species) * ''

Incana The Socotra warbler (''Incana incana'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Incana''. It is endemic to Socotra. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tr ...

'' – monotypic, Socotra warbler (''Incana incanus'') * ''

'', prinias (29 species) * ''

Schistolais ''Schistolais'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains the following species: * White-chinned prinia (''Schistolais leucopogon'') * Sierra Leone prinia (''Schistolais leontica'') References *Ryan, Peter (2006). F ...

'' (2 species) * '' Phragmacia'' – monotypic, Namaqua warbler (''Phragmacia substriata'') * '' Oreophilais'' – monotypic, Roberts's warbler (''Oreophilais robertsi'') Rufous-eared Warbler

* ''

Micromacronus ''Micromacronus'' is a bird genus in the family Cisticolidae endemic to the Philippines. Long considered to be monotypic, its members are known as miniature babblers or miniature tit-babblers. As the scientific as well as the common names indicat ...

'' (2 species) * ''

Urolais The green longtail (''Urolais epichlorus'') is a bird species of the family Cisticolidae, in the monotypic genus ''Urolais''. It is found in the Cameroon line (including Bioko). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane fo ...

'' – monotypic, green longtail (''Urolais epichlora'') * ''

Oreolais ''Oreolais'' is a genus of birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains species that were previously placed in the genus Apalis The apalises are small passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Apalis'', in the family Cisticolidae. They are fou ...

'', (2 species) – moved here from ''Apalis'' * '' Drymocichla'' – monotypic, red-winged grey warbler (''Drymocichla incana'') * ''

Spiloptila The cricket warbler (''Spiloptila clamans''), also known as cricket longtail, scaly longtail or cricket prinia, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It belongs to the genus ''Spiloptila''; it is often the only species included in the ...

'' – monotypic, cricket warbler (''Spiloptila clamans'') * '' Phyllolais'' – monotypic, buff-bellied warbler (''Phyllolais pulchella'') * ''

Apalis The apalises are small passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Apalis'', in the family Cisticolidae. They are found in forest, woodlands and scrub across most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They are slender birds with long tails and have a slender ...

'', apalises (25 species) * '' Malcorus'' – monotypic, rufous-eared warbler (''Malcorus pectoralis'') * ''

Hypergerus The oriole warbler (''Hypergerus atriceps'') is a large warbler in the family Cisticolidae, and the monotypic, only member of the genus ''Hypergerus''. This bird is a resident breeder in west Africa from southern Senegal to Cameroon. This skulki ...

'' – monotypic, oriole warbler (''Hypergerus atriceps'') * '' Eminia'' – monotypic, grey-capped warbler (''Eminia lepida'') * ''

Camaroptera ''Camaroptera'' is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae that are found in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus was erected by the Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1850. The type species is the green-backed camaroptera (' ...

'' (5 species) * '' Calamonastes'' (4 species) * ''

Euryptila The cinnamon-breasted warbler or kopje warbler (''Euryptila subcinnamomea'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Euryptila''. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropi ...

'' – monotypic, cinnamon-breasted warbler (''Euryptila subcinnamomea'') * '' Bathmocercus'', rufous warblers (2 species) * '' Scepomycter'' (2 species) - sometimes merged into ''Bathmocercus'' * '' Orthotomus'', tailorbirds (13 species) * '' Artisornis'' (2 species) * '' Poliolais'' – monotypic, white-tailed warbler (''Poliolais lopezi'') * ''

Eremomela The eremomelas are a genus, ''Eremomela'', of passerines in the cisticola family Cisticolidae. The genus was previously placed with the larger Old World warbler family Sylviidae prior to that genus being broken up into several families. The genus ...

'' (11 species)

References

External links

Cisticolidae videos
on the Internet Bird Collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q550595 Bird families

Taxonomy

List of genera

References

Further reading

External links