Plaintive cisticola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dorst's cisticola |
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| in Bénoué National Park, Cameroon | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cisticolidae |
| Genus: | Cisticola |
| Species: |
C. guinea
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| Binomial name | |
| Cisticola guinea Lynes, 1930
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| Synonyms | |
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Cisticola dorsti Chappuis & Erard, 1991 |
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The Dorst's cisticola (Cisticola guinea) is a small bird found in parts of West Africa. It is also sometimes called the plaintive cisticola. This bird belongs to the Cisticolidae family, which includes many small, active birds often found in grassy areas. You can find it living in countries in West Africa and south of Lake Chad.
About the Dorst's Cisticola
This little bird is known for its unique song, which helps scientists tell it apart from other similar birds. It's a busy bird that lives in open, grassy areas.
Its Name Story
The scientific name for this bird, Cisticola guinea, has a bit of a confusing history. When it was first discovered, scientists thought it was a new species and named it Cisticola dorsti. This name honored a French bird expert named Jean Dorst.
Later, it was found that another very similar bird had been described earlier. That bird was thought to be a type of red-pate cisticola and was called C. r. guinea. It turned out that Cisticola dorsti and C. r. guinea were actually the same bird!
Scientists then realized that this bird's song was different enough from the red-pate cisticola. This difference in song means they don't usually breed with each other. Because of this, it is now considered its own unique species. The official scientific name became Cisticola guinea, even though some experts still use dorsti.
Where it Lives
The Dorst's cisticola naturally lives in dry savanna areas. Savannas are like grasslands with scattered trees. These areas are common in Africa.
Conservation Status
For a while, not much was known about the Dorst's cisticola. Because of the confusion with its name and how little was known, it was once listed as "data deficient" by the IUCN. This means there wasn't enough information to know if it was safe or in danger.
However, new studies have shown that this bird is actually quite common and spread out across its habitat. So, in 2008, its status was changed. Now, it is listed as a species of least concern. This means it is not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing.
 | Isaac Myers |
 | D. Hamilton Jackson |
 | A. Philip Randolph |
