The cisticolas, prinias and tailorbirds (family Cisticolidae) are a large and diverse family of birds belonging to the order Passeriformes, distributed across warm regions of the Old World. They are small, long-tailed, generally drab birds found in grasslands and scrub, except for some colorful species. Several species sport similar plumages but very distinctive calls and songs, which are the best trait to successfuly identify them.
The family comprises 163 species in 26 genera. Basal genus Neomixis (3 species) includes birds known as jeries endemic to Madagascar, whereas Micromacronus (2 species) is restricted to the Philippines and known as plumed-warblers. A number of small genera are endemic to the Afrotropical realm, including Drymocichla (1 species), Schistolais (2 species), Oreophilais (1 species), Phragmacia (1 species), Urolais (1 species), Artisornis (2 species), Poliolais (1 species), Calamonastes (4 species), Spiloptila (1 species), Phyllolais (1 species), Euryptila (1 species), Scepomycter (1 species), Incana (1 species), Malcorus (1 species), Hypergerus (1 species), Eminia (1 species) and Bathmocercus (2 species). Larger genera also restricted to Subsaharan Africa include the eremopteras in genus Eremoptera (10 species); the camaropteras in genus Camaroptera (4 species); and the apalis within genera Oreolais (2 species) and Apalis (25 species). Instead, the tailorbirds, belonging to genus Orthotomus (13 species), are restricted to the Indomalayan realm. The large genera Prinia (29 species), including birds known as prinias, and Cisticola (53 species), commonly known as cisticolas, are both distributed all across the Old World, including the only species of the family found in Europe within the last genus.
Mount Lang Bian near Da Lat, Vietnam, 7 Aug 2024
Common jery
Neomixis tenella
Distributed along midland open forests from the Indian Subcontinent to Indochina. Large, solitary and rather inconspicuous. I have seen this species in Da Lat plateau in Vietnam and in south India.
KWSTI Center in Naivasha, Kenya, 3 Feb 2024
Bleating camaroptera
Camaroptera brachyura
Found in woodland usually close to river banks in Subsaharan Africa. Their large colonies feature some of the most complex social structures among birds. I have encountered this species in Naivasha city in Kenya.
Wildebeest Eco Camp in Nairobi, Kenya, 25 Jan 2024
Buff-bellied warbler
Phyllolais pulchella
Found in forests and gardens of middle and high elevations across the Albertine Rift and the ranges and plateaus around the Rift Valley in east Africa. I have encountered this species in Nairobi city in Kenya.
Garoda beach near Watamu, Kenya, 11 Feb 2024
Yellow-breasted apalis
Apalis flavida
Found in Subsaharan Africa, with a breeding range along semi-desert areas in the Sahel and south Arabia, migrating south to Equatorial African forests over winter. I have seen this species in the coastal vegetation of Watamu in Kenya.
Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, 10 Aug 2024
Black-headed apalis
Apalis melanocephala
Distributed along forest clearings in south India east to Malay and Indochina, including Java and the Andaman Islands. Its partial migratory movements avoid the monsoons. I have seen this species in Cat Tien in Vietnam and the foothills of south India.
Juvenile in Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 8 Jul 2024
Common tailorbird
Orthotomus sutorius
Found year-round in Indochina south to Sumatra and Borneo, with a summer range north to Shanghai and Wuhan regions in China. I have observed this species in Singapore and Borneo.
Kudavellari paddyfields, India, 30 Dec 2024
Dark-necked tailorbird
Orthotomus atrogularis
Found in grasslands and open woodlands across the Indian subcontinent and Indochina, west to the Persian Gulf. Small and often abundant in farmland and peri-urban areas. I have seen this species in the backwaters of India.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Ashy tailorbird
Orthotomus ruficeps
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Kudavellari paddyfields, India, 30 Dec 2024
Rufous-tailed tailorbird
Orthotomus sericeus
Breeding in sandbanks of India east to Indochina, they migrate to all sorts of open habitats across southeast Asia east to the Philippines and Papua in winter. I have seen this species in grasslands and backwaters of south India.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Hill prinia
Prinia superciliaris
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Rufescent prinia
Prinia rufescens
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Gray-breasted prinia
Prinia hodgsonii
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Delicate prinia
Prinia lepida
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Yellow-bellied prinia
Prinia flaviventris
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Ashy prinia
Prinia socialis
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Tawny-flanked prinia
Prinia subflava
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Lac Ravelobe in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, 7 Dec 2023
Plain prinia
Prinia inornata
Distributed along open areas of Madagascar, Comoros and east Africa, with an isolated population between Angola and Namibia. Partially migratory, it leaves southern Africa during the rainy season. I have seen this species in Ankarafantsika in Madagascar.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Red-faced cisticola
Cisticola erythrops
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Singing cisticola
Cisticola cantans
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Rattling cisticola
Cisticola chiniana
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Winding cisticola
Cisticola marginatus
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Stout cisticola
Cisticola robustus
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Zitting cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
Cabo Cope, Murcia, Spain, 18 May 2025
Golden-headed cisticola
Cisticola exilis
Found in open dry areas, breeding in sandbanks along the Mediterranean and migrating towards southern Africa in winter. It is the only regularly found species in Europe. This species breeds in Alicante; I have also seen it wintering in Kenya.
