• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2c+3c+4c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2018	Vulnerable	A2c+3c+4c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2017	Vulnerable	A2c+3c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2016	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2012	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2008	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1994	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	5,500 km2	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	unknown	poor	estimated	2000
Population trend	decreasing	medium	suspected	2007-2020
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Generation length	4.2 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-

Population justification: Simple extrapolation of density figures in the Aberdares indicates a population there of c.50,000 birds (L. Bennun in litt. 1999, 2000, W. Gatarabirwa in litt. 1999, 2000), thus the population is placed in the range bracket for 50,000-999,999 individuals.

Trend justification: The rapid loss of grassland at Mau Narok and Molo, which now covers less than a third of the extent estimated in the late 1990s (P. Adhiambo in litt. 2007), suggests that the population is experiencing a rapid population decline.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Kenya	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Kenya	Aberdare Mountains
Kenya	Kinangop grasslands
Kenya	Mau Narok - Molo grasslands

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	major	resident
Altitude	2300 - 3700 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Bos taurus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Trend Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/aberdare-cisticola-cisticola-aberdare on 16/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 16/12/2024.