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Here's quite an interesting one, seen at Voortrekker Monument. Initially from behaviour thought it was Tawny-flanked Prinia, but the call wasn't quite right (but close), and TFP doesn't have that very rufous crown! So thoughts shifted to Neddicky, but the call was way off. What do you guys think? Sorry for pics' quality:

Ey, that looks a bit like a Lazy Cisticola (which could be defined as a prinia with a red crown). That would be a nice one for Pretoria, if someone can confirm this!

JoelR, I think you nailed it! Had a quick look (and listen) on my Roberts MM and it is spot on! The habitat and behaviour we saw was also the same. Funny enough I even see they refer to it as "Prinia-like" and compare to a Neddicky (but longer tail), so I'm even impressed with my own description posted!!!

Thanks for the great ID!

I see it is called a Lazy Cisticola as it doesn't have a display flight!? It's a bit unfair, as it's behaviour in the lower strata was hardly "lazy"!

Yes moegaai, I listend to it's call, and that's def, the one we saw and heard. I have some photo's too.

Here's the photo's I took, Moegaai

Whoo-hoo! Thanks for the confirmation Yolandé!

That's lifer # 526 for me!!! Funny how easy it was and glad we spent some time on it!

Nice Sighting this

LAZY CISTICOLA: I was told that it gets it's name from the fact that it is the only Cisticola that does not call in flight.

Trivia for the day....

Niall.

Interesting Niall. Would you care to elaborate on how you arrived at Lazy Cisticola? You're probably right and I'm not contesting the ID. I'm not really sure myself what the bird is so I wouldn't argue with you. I'd just be interested to know what features you used. The distribution and habitat certainly looks right at a superficial glance.

What bothers me is the fact that the tail doesn't seem as long, the underparts seem quite pale and the inside of the mouth is not black. But then, this bird is clearly a young bird (yellow gape) so any or all of those features could be useless for all I know.

Then again, the more I think of the other likely candidates I realise that there are none so again, you're probably right.

Hells bells.....always read until the end of the thread....

I wasn't referring to JenB's bird, that looks like a Rattling to me. I was just giving the trivia for Moegaai's post:

Good Morning Everyone.

I came back from a fantastic 10 days in Kruger. Got 5 species that I saw that aren't clear to me... Wondering if anyone can confirm my sucpicions?



I believe that this guy is a Lazy Cisticola(Seen in B&D camp in a thick bush on the 5th Sept. Early in the morning. Hoping around and cleaning himself. No sounds made.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, this might indeed be a Lazy Cisticola. Did it hop around and cock its tail like a prinia?

JoelR thank you for the ID clarification. Really appreciate it. I think it was a Lazy Cisticola as it did have the typicall tawny flanked prinia tail flicking and that was my first though that I was looking at one....

Great.

Confirmation needed. Judging by its plain back and the area it was photographed in, Borakalalo National Park in the Northwest Province, I zeroed in on the Lazy Cisticola. Am I correct?

GP, you are prob right. To be 100% sure, a LC has much the same habits as a prinia, cocking its tail often. Taking field notes is important. Noting that specific behaviour is normally the clincher for me. Noting the size would have helped too. Another bird that can cause confusion is a neddicky... although much smaller (hence the reference to notes on size...), on this pic there is zero that can be used as reference for size. The length of tail looks right for neddicky, but the "eyebrow" says LC.

LC is most likely the right ID, but without the "confirming" observations, I just can not be sure...