The Bicol ground warbler is a species of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. It is native to southern Luzon and Catanduanes in the Philippines. It was formerly conspecific and forms a species complex with the Cordillera ground warbler and Sierra Madre ground warbler, which are some of most elusive birds in the country due to their extremely shy nature. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Philippines (southern Luzon and Catanduanes)
Typical Environment
The species inhabits tropical moist lowland forest with dense understory and deep leaf litter. It favors shaded ravines, stream edges, bamboo thickets, and tangled secondary growth adjacent to primary forest. While most frequent in undisturbed forest, it may occur in older secondary forest if ground cover is thick. It is a terrestrial skulker that rarely ventures far above the forest floor.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Bicol ground warbler is a secretive, ground-dwelling songbird that skulks through dense undergrowth and is rarely seen in the open. It was split from related Luzon ground warblers and forms a species complex with the Cordillera and Sierra Madre ground warblers. Its rich rufous face pattern and bold white throat bordered by dark moustachial stripes help separate it from its close relatives. It is highly sensitive to forest degradation and persists best in intact lowland rainforest.
A bottom view of a stuffed specimen in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, moving quietly through dense ground cover. Nests are well-concealed near or on the ground within thick vegetation. Breeding behavior is poorly known, but pairs defend small territories and keep close to shaded ravines and thickets.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of soft, high-pitched whistles and thin trills delivered from concealed perches near the ground. Notes can sound ventriloquial and are easy to mislocate in dense forest.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a rich rufous crown and face; underparts buffy to whitish with a bold white throat. Dark moustachial stripes border the throat, and a pale supercilium is often evident. Wings and tail are plain, and the overall impression is of a compact, strong-legged ground bird.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other small invertebrates, gleaning from leaf litter and probing among roots and mossy logs. It flicks aside leaves to expose hidden prey and will pick invertebrates from low vegetation. Small spiders, beetles, ants, and larvae form much of the diet.
Preferred Environment
Most foraging occurs on the forest floor in deep leaf litter, along shaded stream banks, and in thickets. It favors areas with dense cover where it can remain concealed while feeding. Bamboo clumps and vine tangles are frequently used.
