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CISTICOLAS 217 CLOUDSCRAPER CISTICOLAS - DESERT: In shape and size like Zitting and best distinguished by voice and display; often occur together but Desert prefers drier, sparser grassland (not limited to deserts); likes old agricultural lands, sweet grasslands, grassy Karoo, Kalahari, open savanna, woodland clearings. Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus (Woestynklopkloppie) L: 10-12 cm M: 4-(8.5)-13 g [1: C. a. eremicus; 2: C. a. kalahari; 3: C. a. caliginus] Best told from other cloudscraper cisticolas by voice and display: flies jerkily, low over the grass tops, while giving fast, sharp, evenly pitched whistles (3-6/s), interspersed with wing-snaps. Fairly large and long-tailed (similar to Zitting). In the br. season, usually looks paler, greyer and more washed-out than other cisticolas with faintly mottled upperparts and a pale creamy buff, lightly streaked rump. Winter birds are more neatly and boldly streaked with blackish brown and yellow-buff, and have richer underparts and grey- brown to pale reddish buff rumps. The tail is rather uniformly dark (blackish subterminal band is thus less contrasting). See also p. 215 and p. 222. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis (Landeryklopkloppie) L: 10-12 cm M: 7-(9)-13 g [C. j. terrestris] Forms the standard to which the other 4 cloudscrapers should be compared. Best identified by voice and most often seen during dipping song-flight, 5-20 m above the ground: gives a sharp zit! call once per second (like a ticking clock). Sometimes sings from a low perch or even overhead powerlines. May be seen on grass stalks or darting about on the ground in search of in- sects. Compared to other cloudscrapers, fairly large and long-tailed (similar to Desert). Tail is dis- tinctly fan-shaped (hence old name of Fan-tailed Cisticola; but not diagnostic). Each grey-brown tail feather has a dark bar near the end plus a white tip. Richly coloured (especially in winter) with a plain, warm rufous to orange rump and lower flank patch. See also p. 215 and p. 222. CLOUDSCRAPER CISTICOLAS - ZITTING: The most widespread and usually the most common small, short-tailed cisticola. Breeds in moist grassland; likes lush, fairly tall and dense grass e.g. at wetland edges. Occurs in natural but also in modified habitats: open suburbia, golf courses and irrigated fields. ADULT br. Upington, NC grey-brown or dull rufous background AD. br. Chrissiesmeer, MP (spring similar) crown becomes almost plain dark brown in late summer faint yellowish orange wash 'blank' expression may show grey lores tail longer in winter rump plain, warm rufous to orange-buff dark subterminal bar and white tips all small cisticolas look leggy, with strong feet averages whiter than usually looks neater and brighter in non- br. plumage richer tones than in br. plumage darker subterminal band white tips slightly more rufous than adult unstreaked warm rufous to orange JUVENILE Bredasdorp, WC AD. non-br. Pretoria, GP ADULT br. Harare, Zim ADULT non-br. Manzini, Sw short, rounded wings longish JUV. caliginus Chicomo, Moz AD. br. kalahari Prieska, NC can be very common in e.g. irrigated fields black lores (variable) AD. br. eremicus Etosha, Nam AD. non-br. caliginus Bronkhorstspruit, GP usually sings in flight but also from weeds, wires, etc. fond of regenerating agricultural fields swooping over perched white below (less yellow than others) lightly streaked, pale reddish buff, grey-brown or creamy buff rump dark background (reduced contrast) darker band less noticeable white tips longish whitish or pale buff (most paler than Zitting, but some identical) often paler and greyer than others some have plain, greyish buff crowns; others streaked like richer buff than br. birds less rufous and slightly paler than Zitting, but very close pale orange- buff whitish buff white tips rump lightly streaked AD. non-br. caliginus Modimolle, Lim AD. br. kalahari Christiana, NW prefers drier and sparser grassland than Zitting, but much overlap best told from other cloudscrapers by song and display cloudscrapers helpfully fan their tails open to expose markings 1 2 3 usually yellow dark bar not obvious obvious dark bar relatively large and long-tailed relatively large and long-tailed CISTICOLAS 216 rich, dark lower flank patch dark grey mottling or black streaks common on open ground in suburbia best identified by song and display
