Barratt's warbler, or the African scrub warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in eastern South Africa, Lesotho, eastern Zimbabwe, and adjacent western Mozambique. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in eastern South Africa, Lesotho, eastern Zimbabwe, and adjacent western Mozambique, with strongholds along the Drakensberg and Eastern Highlands. Prefers dense, tangled vegetation such as bracken, rank grass, riparian thickets, and forest edges. Also uses overgrown clearings and plantation margins where understory is thick. It keeps close to the ground, often in damp gullies and slopes with persistent cover. Most populations are sedentary with only local, short-distance movements.
Altitude Range
500–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-loving skulk, Barratt's warbler is far more often heard than seen, delivering long, insect-like trills from dense cover. It frequently cocks and flicks its warm rufous tail as it moves through bracken and tangles. Pairs defend small territories and may duet, especially at dawn and dusk.
Barratt's warbler
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over cover
Social Behavior
Typically found singly or in pairs that hold small territories in dense cover. Nests are well-concealed low in bracken or shrubs, with both adults involved in care. Courtship and territorial defense rely heavily on vocalizations delivered from hidden perches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a long, monotonous, insect-like trill or series of churring phrases, often delivered from deep cover. Calls include dry ticks and churrs, repeated persistently at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Plain, soft-textured plumage with dark brown to rufous-brown upperparts and greyish to buff underparts; tail is warm rufous and often held cocked.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small invertebrates, including insects such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, and their larvae, as well as spiders. Gleans prey from low foliage, stems, and leaf litter while moving methodically through cover. Occasionally snatches items from the ground or just above it.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense bracken, rank grass, scrubby slopes, and along shaded forest edges and riparian thickets. Often keeps to damp gullies and vegetated stream margins where prey is abundant and cover is continuous.
