The bamboo warbler or bamboo scrub-warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae.
Region
unknown
Typical Environment
Typically found in dense bamboo stands, scrubby forest edges, and regenerating secondary growth where bamboo is abundant. It keeps close to the ground or mid-understory, moving through tangles and leaf litter. The species favors thickets along streams, landslides, and clearings where bamboo forms a tight understory. It can persist in patchy or disturbed habitats if bamboo cover remains. Nesting sites are usually within clumps of bamboo or similarly dense grasses.
Altitude Range
unknown
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The bamboo warbler, also called the bamboo scrub-warbler, is an Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae that specializes in dense bamboo thickets. Like many Locustella, it is elusive and more often heard than seen, delivering a thin, insect-like trill from deep cover. It nests low in dense stems and relies on undergrowth for protection and foraging.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, skulking flights between cover
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, defending small territories within dense undergrowth. The nest is placed low in bamboo or thick grass, with clutches typically of a few eggs. Outside breeding, it remains inconspicuous and continues to favor dense cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a high, insect-like trill or reeling series delivered from hidden perches within bamboo. Calls are soft ticks and churrs, often given when disturbed. Vocalizations carry well through dense vegetation.
Plumage
Plain to lightly streaked brown upperparts with paler, buffy underparts and a slightly warmer tone on the flanks; feathers often show fine, diffuse streaking on the breast.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects and other invertebrates such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans from bamboo stems, leaf sheaths, and the ground layer, occasionally making short sallies to snatch prey. Foraging is methodical and close to cover, taking advantage of the rich arthropod fauna associated with bamboo.
Preferred Environment
Dense bamboo clumps, tangled thickets, and edges of montane or foothill forests. Often along ravines, stream margins, and clearings where bamboo forms a tight understory.
