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Cisticola fulvicapilla (Neddicky) 

Neddikkie [Afrikaans]; Incede [Xhosa]; iNcede, uQoyi [Zulu]; Harudeve (generic term for cisticola or prinia) [Kwangali]; Motintinyane (generic term for cisticolas and prinias) [South Sotho]; Kadhi-idhi-i, Timba (generic names for cisticola) [Shona]; Matinti (generic term for cisticola) [Tsonga]; Bruinkop-graszanger [Dutch]; Cisticole à couronne rousse [French]; Brauner zistensänger [German]; Fuinha-de-cabeça-ruiva [Portuguese]

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Passeriformes > Family: Cisticolidae > Genus: Cisticola

Cisticola fulvicapilla (Neddicky)  Cisticola fulvicapilla (Neddicky) 

Neddicky, Robberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. [photo Duncan Robertson ©]

Neddicky, Rooiels, South Africa. [photo Trevor Hardaker ©]

Distribution and habitat

It occurs from southern Tanzania, Angola and Zambia to southern Africa. Here it is locally common in many areas excluding arid Karoo, savanna and the Namib Desert, but otherwise occurring in a variety of habitats. It generally prefers Broad-leaved burkea (Burkea africana) woodland, thorny savanna, forest edges, fynbos, renosterbos, scrub on boulder-strewn slopes, gardens with thick vegetation and the grassy understorey of alien tree plantations.

Distribution of Neddicky in southern Africa, based on statistical smoothing of the records from first SA Bird Atlas Project (© Animal Demography unit, University of Cape Town; smoothing by Birgit Erni and Francesca Little). Colours range from dark blue (most common) through to yellow (least common). See here for the latest distribution from the SABAP2.  

Brood parasites

It has been recorded as host of the Brown-backed honeyguide.

Food 

It mainly eats insects, doing most of its foraging on the ground the ground beneath undergrowth, hopping after flying or jumping insects. The following food items have been recorded in its diet:

Breeding

  • The nest is built solely by the female, and is typically an oval or ball shape with a side entrance, although it may rarely construct a cup instead. It builds it out of dry grass secured with spider web, with the female adding a soft plant down lining to the inside and also to below the side entrance (forming a kind of doormat). It is usually placed low down in a grass tuft, herb or forb, very near to the ground surface.
  • Egg-laying season is from September-March, peaking from October-January.
  • It lays 2-5 eggs, which are incubated for about 12-15 days.
  • The chicks leave the nest after about 12-15 days.

Threats

Not threatened.

References

  • Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.