The Anjouan brush warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. Clements lumps this bird into the Malagasy brush warbler N. typica. This is supported by the IUCN, whereas the IOC recognizes it as a valid species. It is endemic to the Comoros and Mayotte.
Region
Comoro Archipelago, western Indian Ocean
Typical Environment
Occurs primarily on Anjouan in the Comoros, favoring dense low vegetation, overgrown thickets, and scrubby edges. It uses secondary growth, plantations, and hedgerows as well as forest margins. Birds often keep close to the ground or mid-story, moving through tangles and reeds. Proximity to water or moist gullies is common, but it also occupies drier coastal scrub. Human-modified habitats with dense undergrowth are frequently utilized.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Anjouan brush warbler is part of the Old World warbler family and inhabits dense scrub and thickets. Taxonomy is debated: the IOC treats it as a distinct species, while Clements and the IUCN often include it within the Malagasy brush warbler Nesillas typica. It is a shy, ground-oriented skulker that can be easiest to detect by its rich, variable song.
Temperament
skulking and cautious
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over vegetation
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories within dense cover. Pairs likely form during the breeding season and build cup-shaped nests low in shrubs or reeds. They often follow linear thickets and edges while foraging, remaining inconspicuous.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a rich, variable warble with sweet phrases interspersed with scratchy notes. Calls include sharp ticks and soft churring notes given from within cover.
Plumage
Plain warm-brown upperparts with slightly rufous tones and paler buff underparts; throat often paler with faint mottling. Feathers appear soft and loose, aiding a sleek, slender profile in dense brush.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other small invertebrates, gleaned from leaves, stems, and litter. It probes into tangled vegetation and snaps up prey from exposed surfaces. Occasionally it may take small spiders or soft-bodied arthropods and may supplement with a little fruit when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense scrub, reedbeds, hedgerows, and the lower to mid-layers of secondary growth. It often works along shaded edges and moist thickets where insect prey is abundant.
