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GRASS WARBLERS and Allies

  Order Passeriformes    Family Locustellidae

This is a family of warbler-like birds that are found mainly in Asia, Africa, and Australsia. The family is also known as Megaluridae. There are insectivorous, usuually have long tails, and are more terresterial than the "true" warblers. They were formerly placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylvidae.

Genus Amphilais - 1 species

Emutail,_Gray also  Madagascar Grassbird  Amphilais seebohmi  also  Dromaeocercus seebohm Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1) Jon Irvine  2) Tony Palliser  3) David Cook



Genus Bradypterus
This genus is found mainly in the warm regions of Africa around the Indian Ocean.. They are smallish birds well adapted to climbing among shrubbery. They are markedly long-tailed birds, at first glance somewhat reminiscent of wrens. They tend towards grayish browns above and buffy or light gray tones below. They have little patterning apart from the ubiquitous supercilium.

Emu-tail, Brown   Bradypterus brunneus  Found: Madagascar.
Image by: 1) John Anderson


Warbler,_Bamboo   Bradypterus alfredi  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) hbw.com


Warbler,_Bangwa  Bradypterus bangwaensis  Found: Cameroon, Nigeria
Image by: 1) Mark Andrews


Warbler,_Barratt's also African Scrub-Warbler  Bradypterus barratti Found: southern Africa
Image by: 1) Marcel Holyoak  2) Francesco_Veronesi - South Africa


Warbler,_Cinnamon Bracken-  Bradypterus cinnamomeus  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Carol Foil


Warbler,_Dja River Swamp-  Bradypterus grandis  Found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon
Image by: 1) David Hoddinott


Warbler,_Evergreen-forest  Bradypterus lopezi  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Philip Stouffer  2) Nik Borrow


Warbler,_Grauer's Swamp-  Bradypterus graueri  Found: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda
The Grauer's Swamp-Warbler has medium dark brown upperparts; light breast with dark spots.
Image by: 1) natureuganda.org  2) Graham Ekins


Warbler,_Knysna  Bradypterus sylvaticuss   Found: South Africa
The Knysna Warbler has olive-brown plumage; paler underparts.
Image by: 1) Joseph Smit  2) Brendon White


Warbler,_Little Rush- also African Bush Warbler  Bradypterus baboecala  Found: Africa
Image by:   1, 2) Derek_Keats - South Africa  3) Francesco_Veronesi


Warbler,_White-winged Swamp- also White-winged Scrub-Warbler  Bradypterus carpalis  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Kristian Svensson  2) David Beadle  3) Nik_Borrow - Uganda



Genus Cincloramphus

Grassbird, Tawny  Cincloramphus timoriensis  Found: Indonesia, Philippines, Australasia
Image by: 1) Tom Tarrant - Australia  2) Geoff Whalan - Australia


Songlark, Brown  Cincloramphus cruralis  Found: Australia
The Brown Songlark has a dusky pale- streaked with darker brown plumage with and pale eyebrows. The underparts are brownish-white in the female, darker brown in the male. Breeding males may display a cinnamon-colour. Its eyes and bill are black, and legs gray.
Similar to: Rufous Songlark. Male Brown Songlarks are much larger than Rufous Songlarks. Female Brown Songlarks lack the rufous rump of the Rufous Songlark female.
Image by:   1) Neville Lazarus  2, 3) Laurie_Boyle


Songlark,_Rufous   Cincloramphus mathewsi   Found: Australia
The Rufous Songlark has streaks on its feathers. It has a dark line through its eye, a pale eyebrow and pale underparts, and a rufous upper tail and rump.
Similar to: Brown Songlark. Male Brown Songlarks are much larger than Rufous Songlarks. Female Brown Songlarks lack the rufous rump of the Rufous Songlark female.
Image by:  1, 3) David Cook- Australian Capital Territory, Australia   2) Aviceda  4) Laurie_Boyle


Thicketbird, Bougainville  Cincloramphus llaneae  Found: New Guinea
The Bougainville Thicketbird, Guadalcanal Thicketbird, and New Britain Thicketbird were formerly considered conspecific.
Image by: 1) Bruce Beehler


Thickbird, Buff-banded also Buff-banded Bushbird  Cincloramphus bivittata  Found: Indonesia, East Timor
Image by: 1) James Eaton


Thicketbird, Long-legged  Cincloramphus rufa  Found: Fiji
The Long-legged Thicketbird has reddish-brown upperparts; mainly white underparts; dark eye-line.
Image by: 1) Patrick Pilacha


Thicketbird, Melanesian  also  Guadalcanal Thicketbird Cincloramphus whitneyi   Found: Guadacanal and nearby island
The Bougainville Thicketbird, Guadalcanal Thicketbird, and New Britain Thicketbird were formerly considered conspecific.
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) hbw.com


Thicketbird,_New Britain also Bismark Thicketbird  Cincloramphus grosvenori   Found: Bismarck Archipelago (northeast of New Guinea)
The Bougainville Thicketbird, Guadalcanal Thicketbird, and New Britain Thicketbird were formerly considered conspecific.
Image by: 1) taenos.com


Thickbird, New Caledonian  also New Caledonian Grassbird  Cincloramphus mariei  Found: New Caldonia (east of Australia)
The New Caledobuab Grassbird has olive-brown upperparts, crown; creamy-white underparts.
Image by: 1) Josephe Huet



Genus Elaphrornis - 1 species

Warbler,_Sri Lanka Bush-  Elaphrornis palliseri  Found: Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler has brown upperparts; pale gray underparts; broad tail; short wings; weak supercilium.
Image by: 1) Steve Garvie  2) Dave Irving



Genus Locustella
These rather drab brownish "warblers" are usually associated with fairly open grassland, shrubs or marshes. Some are streaked, others plain, all are difficult to view. They are insectivorous. The most characteristic feature of this group is that the song of several species is a mechanical insect-like reeling which gives rise to the group's scientific name.

Grassbird, Marsh
  Locustella pryeri  Found: Asia
Image by: 1) McBride  2) Vivek Tiwari


Warbler,_Baikal Bush-  Locustella davidi  Found: Asia
Image by: 1) Deborshee Gogoi


Warbler,_Benguet Bush- also  Philippine Bush-Warbler    Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) tebanwuds


Warbler,_Brown Bush-  Locustella luteoventris  Found: southern Asia
Image by: 1) Gustav Mützel  2) Ron Knight


Warbler,_Chestnut-backed Bush-  Locustella castanea  Found: Indonesia
The Chestnut-backed Bush-Warbler has reddish-brown upperparts; pale gray supercilium, throat, chin; deeper gray breast; varying shades of brown on belly. 
Image by: 1) AS Kono


Warbler,_Chinese Bush-  Locustella tacsanowskia  Found: Asia
Image by: 1) Otgonbayar Baatargal  2) Sergey_Yeliseev


Warbler,_Common Grasshopper- Locustella naevia Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The Common Grasshopper-Warbler has pale olive-brown upperparts; grayish cheeks; cream-colored or yellowish-buff underparts..
Image by: 1) Stefan Hage  2) Steve Garvie - Scotland  3) Sergey_Yeliseev


Warbler,_Eurasian River  Locustella fluviatilis  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The Eurasian River Warbler has unstreaked gray-brown upperparts; whitish underparts with faint streaking on breast.
Image by: 1) Lasse Olsson  2) Sergey Yeliseev - Moscow region


Warbler,_Friendly Bush-  Locustella accentor  Found: Borneo
Image by: 1) James Eaton


Warbler,_Gray's Grasshopper- also  Gray's Warbler  Locustella fasciolata Found: western Siberia, Korea wintering in southeast Asia
The Gray's Grasshopper-Warbler has unstreaked olive-brown upperparts; gray breast; buff belly.
Image by: 1) Herman_Mays - Taiwan  2) Sergey Yeliseev - Russia 3) LonelyShrimp


Warbler,_Javan Bush-  Locustella montis  Found: Java (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Rusman Budi Prasetyo  2) James Eaton  3) Francesco_Veronesi


Warbler,_Lanceolated  Locustella lanceolata   Found: Europe (occasional), Asia
The Lanceolated Warbler has streaked brown upperparts; whitish gray underparts.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dave Curtis - Scotland  4) Hiyashi_Haka


Warbler,_Long-billed Bush-  Locustella major  Found: China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan
Image by: warbler king - China


Warbler,_Long-tailed Bush-  Locustella caudata  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Pete Simpson  2) Nilo Arribas  3) Charlie_Davies.


Warbler,_Middendorff's Grasshopper- Locustella ochotensis Found: Asia, Indonesia, Philippines
The Middendorff's Grasshopper-Warbler hss brown upperparts; pale-creamy supercilim.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) Skip Russell - Alaska


Warbler,_Pallas's Grasshopper- Locustella certhiola Found: east Asia, Indonesia
The Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler has streaked brown upperparts; whitish gray underparts; white tips to tail..
Image by: 1, 2) JM Garg  3) Sergey_Yeliseev


Warbler,_Pleske's Grasshopper- also Styan's G. W.  Locustella pleskei Found: Asia
Image by: 1, 2) Melanie and Kyle Elliott - Japan


Warbler,_Russet Bush-  Locustella mandelli  Found: China, Indonesia
The Russet Bush-Warbler is similar to the Sichuan Bush-Warbler.
Image by: 1) Per Alstrom  2) Rajneesh Suvarna  3) Francesco_Veronesi.


Warbler,_Sakhalin Grasshopper- Locustella amnicola Found: Japan
The Sakhalin Grasshopper-Warbler has unstreaked olive-brown upperparts; gray breast; buff belly.
Image by: 1) Hiyashi_Haka 2) Bjorn Anderson 


Warbler,_Savi's  Locustella luscinioides  Found: southern Europe, western Asia, northern Africa
The Savi's Warbler has unstreaked gray-brown upperparts; whitish=gray underparts with no streaking.
Image by: 1) Ron Knight - Belarus  2, 3) Sergey Yeliseev - Moscow region


Warbler,_Sichuan Bush- Locustella chengi  Found: China
Image by: 1) Bo Dai  2) Paul Leader   3) Per Alstrom


Warbler,_Taiwan Bush-  Locustella alishanensis  Found: Taiwan
Image by: 1, 2) Hiyashi Halso  3) Mikael Bauer


Warbler,_Timor Bush-  Locustella timorensis  Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Rob Hutchinson


Warbler,_West Himalayan Bush- also Spotted Bush-Warbler Locustella kashmirensis  Found: northwestern Himalayas
The Spotted Bush-Warbler is also treated as a separate species.
Image by: 1) Holla



Genus Malia - 1 species

Malia   Malia grata   Found: Sulawesi of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Arie Frahman



Genus Megalurulus


Thicketbird, Rusty  Megalurulus rubiginosus  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) Joseph Smit



Genus Megalurus
The genus contains six species also known as the typical grassbirds. They are distributed from northern China and Japan, to India in the west, and Australia in the south, with most species being located wholly or partly in the tropics. The typical grassbirds are medium sized warblers with short rounded wings and long graduated tails, which are often worn. The plumage is brown overall, lighter on the belly and throat, with black streaks on the back. All species have a whitish line above the eye, and some have light streaking on the chest. Pairs or individual birds forage in dense vegetation. They are generally shy and seldom fly, instead forage mostly by clambering up reeds and grasses. When they do fly it is generally low to the ground and only for a few meters.

Grassbird, Striated  Megalurus palustris  Found: Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia; Philippines
Image by: 1, 2) JM Garg


Fernbird  also  New Zealand Fernbird  Poodytes punctatus  Found: New Zealand
The Fernbird has rich brown upperparts; white underparts with brown spots on throat and breast.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) Yani Dubin  3) Josep del Hoyo 


Grassbird, Fly River  Poodytes albolimbatus  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) hbw.com


Grassbird,_Little  Poodytes gramineus  Found: Australasia
Image by: 1) I Am birdsaspoetry.com  2) Friends of Aldinga Scrub  3) Laurie_Boyle  4) JJ Harrison - Tasmania, Australia 


Spinifexbird   Poodytes carteri  Found: spinifex regions of Australia
The Spinifexbird tends to be solitary, nonmigratory. Its diet comprises a variety of insects and seeds collected in porcupine grass.
Image by: 1, 2) Brian_McCauley  3) Summerdrought 



Genus Robsonius

These Ground-Warblers spend most of the time on the ground and can barely fly.

Warbler,_Bicol Ground-  also  Gray-banded Babbler  Robsonius sorsogonensis  Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) hbw.com


Warbler,_Cordillera Ground- also Rabor's Babbler  Robsonius rabori  Found: Philippines
The Cordillera Ground-Warbler has rusty-chestnut head; thin whitish eye-ring; white throat; medium gray breast; whitish belly; brown wing.
Image by: 1) Pineda 


Warbler,_Sierra Madre Ground-  Robsonius thompsoni  Found: Philippines
The Sierre Madre Ground-Warbler was dtermined in 2013 to bea separate species from the Cordillera Ground-Warbler which has more distint scale-like patterns on the breast.
Image by: 1) Pineda



Genus Schoenicola

Grassbird,_Broad-tailed  Schoenicola platyurus  Found: India
The Broad-tailed Grassbifd has brown upperparts; paler underparts; broad tail.
Image by: 1) Madhukar  2) Peshaveas  3) Madhukar_Bangalore 


Grassbird, Fan-tailed  Schoenicola brevirostris  Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Alan Manson - South Africa






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