Tana River Cisticola

The Tana Cistensänger ( Cisticola restrictus ) is a Singvogelart from the family of Halmsängerartigen. It is endemic in western Kenya.

Description

The Tana Cistensänger reaches a length of 13 centimeters and a weight of 12 to 15 grams. The face is cream-colored. The cheeks are gray-brown. The skull is rusty brown with dark brown streaks. The top is gray-brown. Back and mantle show a strong dark brown dashes. The arm and hand swing, and the under wing-coverts are dark brown with ash-gray edges. The tail is brown with a darker Subterminalband. Up to the middle pair of feathers, all the tail feathers on brown leather lace. The underside is cream-colored. The flanks and chest are faded gray leather. Throat and belly are lighter colored center. The iris is bright brown. The beak is dark brown with a bright base. The legs dull pink. The female is slightly smaller than the male. The young birds are undescribed.

Habitat and behavior

Of his life little is known. The habitat is semi-arid acacia scrub at altitudes up to 500 m. Its diet consists mainly of insects, including grasshoppers.

Status

The Tana Cistensäger 1967 junior Melvin Alvah Traylor basis of six museum specimens described, 1931-1932, 1961-1962 and 1967 collected in the lower reaches of the Tana River in Karawa, Garsen, Ijole, Mnazini and Sango and first for Grauzistensänger ( the Cisticola cinereolus ) were held. A seventh specimen to have been seen in 1972 and an unconfirmed observation in 2007 there were in the Tana River Delta.

To date, the status of the Tana Cistensängers regarded as controversial. According to the ornithologist David J. Pearson and Adrian Lewis of Tana Cistensänger probably represents an abnormal copy of the Grauzistensängers or a hybrid of Grauzistensänger and Rotscheitel - cisticola ( Cisticola chiniana ) dar. If this theory be confirmed by DNA analysis of museum specimens, would be the Tana Cistensänger a invalides taxon. Until the final clarification of the species status of Tana Cistensänger (Data deficient = Insufficient data ) is listed by BirdLife International in the category DD.