Other Scientific Names
Cisticola dorsti [BirdLife International (2000)], Cisticola dorsti [BirdLife International (2004)], Cisticola dorsti [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Cisticola dorsti [Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993)]
Dorst's Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) [XC719033]
by Peter Boesman from Mole National Park, Ghana (song)
Dorst's Cisticola (Cisticola guinea) [XC719029]
by Peter Boesman from Mole National Park, Ghana (song)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Red-pate Cisticola (Cisticola ruficeps) and formerly treated as conspecific, but differs in vocalizations, plumage (especially non-breeding) and habitat preferences. Complicated taxonomy and nomenclature: when "Cisticola ruficeps" (sensu lato) was found to consist of two species, on basis of highly distinctive vocalizations, the new form was mistakenly attributed to Cisticola ruficeps mongalla, which was as a result raised to species level. Vocalizations subsequently found not to apply to mongalla, and indeed not known from anywhere near the range of that subspecies, so the new species was awarded a new name, "Cisticola dorsti". However, recent studies have now shown this form, with its distinctive vocalizations, to be synonymous with the form hitherto treated as "Cisticola ruficeps guinea". Thus, "Cisticola dorsti" becomes a junior synonym of "Cisticola guinea".
BirdLife International Species Factsheet