The friendly bush warbler, also known as the Kinabalu friendly warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo.
Region
Borneo
Typical Environment
Occurs in montane and subalpine zones on Borneo, especially around Mount Kinabalu and other high massifs. Favors dense understory in mossy forest, bamboo thickets, bracken, and shrubby edges. Often keeps close to the ground in tangles and along trail-side vegetation. It is patchy but can be locally common in suitable habitat.
Altitude Range
1200–3300 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Kinabalu friendly warbler, it is a skulking bush-warbler of the high mountains of Borneo. The name “friendly” reflects its occasionally confiding behavior along trails compared with other very shy Locustella. It is far more often heard than seen, delivering insect-like trills from dense shrubs.
Temperament
skulking but sometimes confiding
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and brief flights between cover
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs within dense undergrowth. Territorial during the breeding season, with males singing from concealed perches. Nests are placed low in thick vegetation and both adults attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a dry, insect-like trill or ticking series, often delivered persistently from deep cover. Calls include soft chips and ticking notes that can be hard to localize in the vegetation.
Plumage
Plain warm-brown upperparts with subtle darker tones, diffuse pale eyebrow, and buffy to grayish underparts with warmer flanks. Tail and undertail-coverts show a rufous wash; wings short and rounded. Overall appearance is soft-textured and lightly patterned, suited to dense cover.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. Forages by gleaning from leaves, stems, and the ground layer. Will occasionally sally a short distance to snatch disturbed prey.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of montane forest, bamboo, bracken patches, and shrub-choked gullies. Often forages near the ground along edges and trail margins where cover remains thick.
