Common grasshopper warbler

The common grasshopper warbler or just grasshopper warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and the western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering across northern tropical Africa just south of the Sahara, and also locally in India.

Distribution

Region

Europe and Western Palearctic

Typical Environment

Breeds across much of temperate Europe and into the western Palearctic in areas with dense, low vegetation. Prefers rough grassland, damp meadows, reedbed margins, young plantations, hedgerows, and scrubby edges. In winter it migrates to northern tropical Africa just south of the Sahara and occurs locally in the Indian subcontinent. Wintering habitats include rank grass, scrub, marsh edges, and lightly wooded savannas where cover is abundant.

Altitude Range

0–1500 m

Climate Zone

Temperate

Characteristics

Size12–13.5 cm

Wing Span15–19 cm

Male Weight0.013 kg

Female Weight0.012 kg

Life Expectancy4 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Named for its insect-like reeling song that resembles a grasshopper’s trill, it can sing for minutes without pause. This elusive warbler keeps low in dense vegetation and is often detected by sound rather than sight. Its song is famously ventriloquial, making it hard to pinpoint in the field.

Gallery

Grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia)

Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden, Germany

Behaviour

Temperament

solitary and secretive

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats, low and fluttering over cover

Social Behavior

Generally solitary and strongly territorial in the breeding season, with males singing from concealed perches at dusk and dawn. Nests are low to the ground in dense vegetation; the female primarily incubates while both parents feed the young. Outside breeding, it remains elusive and keeps to thick cover.

Migratory Pattern

Seasonal migrant

Song Description

A continuous, high-pitched reeling trill reminiscent of a grasshopper, often delivered for long periods. The sound is ventriloquial and can be difficult to localize, typically heard at dawn, dusk, and sometimes at night.

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Identification

Leg Colorpinkish-brown

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Warm brown upperparts heavily streaked with darker centres, with fine mottling; underparts buff to greyish with lighter streaking on the breast and flanks. Long, rounded, and slightly graduated tail; wings plain with no bold bars. Feathers appear soft and neatly streaked, aiding camouflage in grass and scrub.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds mainly on small insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, flies, caterpillars, and also spiders. Forages by gleaning from the ground and low vegetation, probing into tussocks and litter. Occasionally takes small snails or other invertebrates when available.

Preferred Environment

Chooses dense ground cover: rough grass, sedges, reed margins, brambles, and scrubby edges. Often forages along ecotones where grass meets shrubs, staying close to concealment.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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