A recording of the call of the Zitting Cisticola can be found at this address.
As Mick Todd mentioned a 'an intermittent "lik-lik" call.'
http://www.dutchbirding.nl/pages/pagina_birdsounds.html
Tim
Tim Dolby
RMIT Publishing - RMIT University
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>>> "Michael Todd" <> 08/10/00 01:47PM >>>
Hello all,
I understand that the Zitting Cisticola is a relatively common bird overseas
and it comes in many subspecies. I don't think that its habitat preferences
in Asia necessarily correspond to its narrower habitat preferences in
Australia. On the eastern side of Cape York it is in the northern section of
Lakefield Np and Marina Plains as Lloyd Nielsen referred to. On the western
side it is at
Pormpuraaw and also Inkerman. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned up at
other locations on the west coast. It also occurs in some spots on the Gulf
of Carpentaria coast, different subspecies if Schodde and Mason 1999 is
followed. It seems to be very coastal in Qld and particular in its habitat
preferences.
While I was at Kununurra in WA over the last wet season, I found Zitting
Cisticolas at a couple of spots on the Ivanhoe Plain, north of Kununurra
which I found surprising due to its distance from the coast and saline
grasslands. However it was still very low country and certainly the
grasslands are still contiguous along the Ord River with more coastal
vegetation closer to Wyndham.
As for its identification. I think that relying on the degree of streaking
on the nape and to a lesser extent on the top of the head could be a tad
unreliable as it can be difficult to pick up sometimes. When they are
breeding their behaviour gives them away- their high fluttering flight with
an intermittent "lik-lik" call. Outside the breeding season they are tougher
to ID. They always appear to me to have more of a "black-and-white"
appearance than the golden-heads. I've exaggerated that a little, but the
yellow on the Zittings is much closer to being white than it is with
golden-heads. Along this line they are quite pale underneath and you can
usually discern white tail tail tips as opposed to the yellowish-buff tail
tips on golden-heads. Bold dark streaking on the crown, gives the appearance
of a white eyebrow, caused partly by the difference between the colour of
the streaks and the colour of the inbetween colour. Bigger difference than
with the golden-heads.
If there is an isolated population of Zittings at Lake Tinaroo they should
be easy to locate during the breeding season and I would suggest that
somebody should take a look. I wouldn't be surprised if such a population
doesn't exist though.
Regards,
Mick Todd
Finch Researcher,
Tropical Savannas CRC
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