Cisticolas (pronounced
sis-TIC-olas) are a genus of very small insectivorous
birds formerly classified in the
Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family
Cisticolidae, along with other southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the
swallows and martins, the
bulbuls and the
white-eyes. The genus contains about 45 species, of which only two are not found in Africa: one in Madagascar and the other from Asia to Australasia.