The Luapula Cisticola (Cisticola luapula) is a small, streaky, long-tailed bird of African wetlands, known for its bright rufous (reddish-brown) cap and wings in breeding plumage, contrasting with its grey back and pale belly, inhabiting marshes, reedbeds, and floodplains from Zambia to Botswana and Namibia, feeding on insects and building intricate grass nests. They're best identified by their distinctive "pleek-chek" songs and aerial displays, often confusingly similar to other Cisticolas like the Chirping Cisticola, but separable by sound and slight visual differences.
Key Facts:
Habitat: Thrives in tropical wetlands, river edges, floodplains, and dambos (seasonal wetlands).
Appearance: Mid-sized with a long tail; breeding plumage shows rufous crown/wings, grey back; non-breeding is browner.
Sound: Distinctive song: "pleek" notes followed by lower "chek" sounds, plus aerial display calls.
Diet: Insects, gleaning from reeds and vegetation.
Nesting: Female builds an oval grass nest with plant down, often above water, laying 2-3 eggs.
Distribution: Central and Southern Africa (Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe).
Behavior: Year-round resident, vocal during rainy season, territorial.
