Cisticola exilis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Cisticola sighting in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 81st most-seen of the 103 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and November–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Cisticola in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and June–October, the lowest months. Those are among Nitmiluk National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
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.
6th of 17
Of the 17 parks where we can rate Golden-headed Cisticola sightings, Nitmiluk National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 10%), Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Manas National Park (India, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Golden-headed Cisticola that you can see in Nitmiluk National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Great Bowerbird (about 80%), Brown Honeyeater (about 60%) and Torresian Crow (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden-headed Cisticola is recorded against all the birds logged in Nitmiluk National Park (15 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.
