Identification
Large, plain, long-tailed cisticola. Note the pale eye stripe, which is lacking in most similarly plain cisticolas. Varies geographically: the crown can be rufous or brown, and the underparts buffy or gray. In most of the range, found on rocky slopes in grassland and savanna. The Angolan population, which probably deserves to be split as a full species, is found mostly in shrubby trees, and rarely on the ground. Often cocks up the tail like a wren or prinia. Calls include squeaks, bleats, and dry rattles. The Angolan subspecies is very different vocally, giving a musical series of high-pitched trills and whistles, lacking the low-pitched, nasal notes typical of the species elsewhere in the range. As with all cisticolas, habitat and voice are important cues in identification.