Cisticolas and Allies (Cisticolidae)

Winding Cisticola (Cisticola marginatus) - HBW 11, p. 449

French: Cisticole du Nil German: Heuglinzistensänger Spanish: Cistícola del Nilo

Taxonomy: Drymoeca marginata Heuglin, 1869, Upper White Nile, 7-9º N, Sudan.
Forms a superspecies with C. galactotes, C. luapula, C. lugubris and C. haematocephala; all often treated as conspecific, but separated on basis of vocal and plumage differences; further research, using genetic markers, is required. Relationship of present species with C. luapula where ranges abut in C Africa requires further investigation. Races intergrade to some extent; proposed race griseus (from Gabon and N Angola) synonymized with amphilectus. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

amphilectus Reichenow, 1875 - S Mauritania and Senegal E to Ghana, S Nigeria, Cameroon and W Congo Basin (S to Cabinda, in N Angola).
zalingei Lynes, 1930 - N Nigeria (possibly also Mali and Niger) E to W Sudan.
marginatus (Heuglin, 1869) - S Sudan and N Uganda.

See all 5 subspecies

amphilectus Reichenow, 1875 - S Mauritania and Senegal E to Ghana, S Nigeria, Cameroon and W Congo Basin (S to Cabinda, in N Angola).
zalingei Lynes, 1930 - N Nigeria (possibly also Mali and Niger) E to W Sudan.
marginatus (Heuglin, 1869) - S Sudan and N Uganda.
nyansae Neumann, 1905 - C & E DRCongo, Uganda and Kenya.
suahelicus Neumann, 1905 - Tanzania, SE DRCongo and extreme NE Zambia.