The Guadalcanal thicketbird is a bird species. It used to be placed in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, but it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; it belongs in the grass warbler family, Locustellidae. It is found on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
Region
Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal)
Typical Environment
Occurs in dense undergrowth of primary and secondary forests, forest edges, and overgrown clearings. It favors tangled thickets, bamboo patches, ferny slopes, and vine-laden gullies where it can move under cover. The species typically keeps low to the ground, using the leaf litter and root tangles for foraging and concealment. It may persist in selectively logged areas if dense understory remains intact.
Altitude Range
100–1700 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Guadalcanal thicketbird is a secretive, ground-hugging songbird of the grass warbler family Locustellidae, formerly placed with the Old World warblers. It is more often heard than seen, delivering a thin, insect-like trill from dense cover. Its restricted range on Guadalcanal makes it sensitive to habitat disturbance and the spread of invasive predators. Because it skulks in thickets, it can be difficult to survey, and reliable population data are scarce.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over understory
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, keeping to dense cover where it creeps and hops near the ground. Nests are presumed to be low in vegetation or near the ground, concealed in tangles. Territorial song is given from hidden perches, especially in the early morning.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a thin, reeling trill reminiscent of an insect, delivered repeatedly from concealed positions. Calls include sharp ticks and soft churrs when agitated.
