Winding Cisticola (Cisticola marginatus) [XC454661]
by Peter Boesman from Plaine du S\u00f4, Abomey-Calavi, Benin (call)
Winding Cisticola (Cisticola marginatus) [XC822736]
by Antonio Xeira from Bolanha Achada do Burro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (song)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes), Luapula Cisticola (Cisticola luapula), Ethiopian Cisticola (Cisticola lugubris) and Coastal Cisticola (Cisticola haematocephalus) and 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 Luapula Cisticola (Cisticola luapula) where ranges abut in central Africa requires further investigation. Subspecies intergrade to some extent.
Proposed subspecies griseus (from Gabon and northern Angola) synonymized with amphilectus.
Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
amphilectus Reichenow, 1875 - Southern Mauritania and Senegal east to Ghana, southern Nigeria, Cameroon and western Congo Basin (south to Cabinda, in northern Angola). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
zalingei Lynes, 1930 - Northern Nigeria (possibly also Mali and Niger) east to western Sudan. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
marginatus (Heuglin, 1869) - Southern Sudan and northern Uganda. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
nyansae Neumann, 1905 - Central and eastern DRCongo, Uganda and Kenya. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
suahelicus Neumann, 1905 - Tanzania, south-eastern DRCongo and extreme north-eastern Zambia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rufous-winged Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet