Cisticola exilis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis), also known as the bright-capped cisticola, is a species of warbler in the family Cisticolidae, found in Australia and thirteen Asian countries. Growing to 9–11.5 cm (3.5–4.5 in) long, it is usually brown and cream in colour, but has a different appearance during the mating season, with a gold-coloured body and a much shorter tail. It is an omnivore and frequently makes a variety of vocalizations. Known as the "finest tailor of all birds", it constructs nests out of plants and spider threads. It mates in the rainy season. It has a very large range and population, which is thought to be increasing.
The golden-headed cisticola was described by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827 and given the binomial name Malurus exilis. The specific epithet exilis is the Latin word for "small", "slender" or "thin". It is now placed in the genus Cisticola, which was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. This species has been known by several English names in addition to the golden-headed cisticola, including bright-capped cisticola, bright-headed cisticola, bright-crowned cisticola, gold-capped... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 10 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 16 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 17 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cebu City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 2 | Phnom Penh | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | |
| 3 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 5 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 6 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Makassar | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Jakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Taichung | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 10 | Denpasar | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Cisticola sighting in Manas National Park on a given day, based on 175 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 143rd most-seen of the 377 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Cisticola in Manas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October, the lowest month. Those are among Manas National Park's wettest months, with about 620 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in December.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden-headed Cisticola sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 17 parks where we can rate Golden-headed Cisticola sightings, Manas National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 10%) and Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden-headed Cisticola is recorded against all the birds logged in Manas National Park (175 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
