Indian grassbird

The Indian grassbird is a passerine bird in the family Pellorneidae. It was formerly placed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae, and the Old World babbler family, Timaliidae. The species is also known as the rufous-rumped grassbird.

Loading map...

Distribution

Region

Ganges–Brahmaputra floodplains and Himalayan Terai

Typical Environment

Occurs patchily from the Terai of Nepal through northern and northeastern India to adjacent Bangladesh, chiefly in extensive, seasonally inundated grasslands. It favors tall Saccharum and Imperata grasslands, reedbeds, and edges of marshes along large rivers. The species relies on a mosaic of mature tall grass and early-successional regrowth often maintained by flooding or controlled burning. It avoids dense forest and open farmland, persisting where large, unfragmented grass tracts remain.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size17–20 cm

Wing Span20–24 cm

Male Weight0.028 kg

Female Weight0.026 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Also called the rufous-rumped grassbird, this skulking passerine inhabits dense, tall riverine grasslands and is easily overlooked despite its loud song. It often perches atop grass stems to sing, especially in early morning, but otherwise keeps low and hidden. Its fortunes are closely tied to the maintenance of floodplain grasslands and early post-fire regrowth.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

secretive and skulking

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats, low over grass

Social Behavior

Typically found singly or in pairs, maintaining territories within extensive grassland blocks. Nests are placed low within grass tussocks; both sexes likely contribute to nesting duties. Breeding coincides with the monsoon season when grass growth is vigorous.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Song is a rich, varied series of ringing notes and trills, delivered from exposed perches atop grass stems. Calls include sharp ticking and churring sounds, often given when alarmed.

Unlock detailed bird insights with Pro access today.

Identification

Leg Colorpinkish-flesh

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Warm brown upperparts with darker streaking, a distinctly rufous rump, and a long, graduated tail. Underparts are buffy to whitish with subtle streaking on the breast and flanks. A pale buff supercilium contrasts with a slightly darker crown.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Primarily feeds on insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates including spiders. It gleans prey from grass stems and leaf litter and occasionally makes short sallies to capture flushed insects. Seeds may be taken opportunistically but form a minor part of the diet.

Preferred Environment

Forages within dense, tall grasses and reedbeds, often near wet or marshy patches in floodplain systems. Most feeding occurs within a meter of the ground where cover is thick.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

Indian grey hornbill

The Indian gray hornbill is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The horn is black or dark grey with a casque extending to the point of curvature of the horn. It is one of the few hornbill species found in urban areas in many cities where they are able to make use of large trees in avenues.

Indian jungle crow

The Indian jungle crow is a species of crow found across the Indian subcontinent south of the Himalayas. It is very common and readily distinguished from the house crow, which has a grey neck. In the past the species was treated as a subspecies of another crow species, but vocalizations and evidence from ectoparasite co-evolution and phylogenetic evidence have led to it being considered as a distinct species in modern taxonomic treatments. It differs in its voice from the large-billed crow found in the higher elevations of the Himalayas and the eastern jungle crow overlaps in the eastern part of its range. In appearance, it can be difficult to distinguish from either of these species although the plumage tends to be more uniformly glossed in purple and has a longer bill with a fine tip and a less arched culmen. The Himalayan species has a slightly wedge-shaped tail, unlike the rounded tail of the Indian jungle crow and tends to glide a lot.

Indian nightjar

The Indian nightjar is a small nightjar which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series of clicks that become shorter and more rapid. They are sometimes spotted on roads when their eyes gleam red in the spotlight of a vehicle. There is considerable plumage variation across its range and can be hard to differentiate from other nightjars in the region especially in the field.

Indian paradise flycatcher

The Indian paradise flycatcher is a medium-sized passerine bird in the monarch flycatcher family, Monarchidae. As the global population is considered stable, it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, with resident and breeding populations in most of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, as well as parts of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Indian peafowl

The Indian peafowl, also known as the common peafowl, or blue peafowl, is a species of peafowl native to the Indian subcontinent. While it originated in the Indian subcontinent, it has since been introduced to many other parts of the world. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, although both sexes are often referred to colloquially as a "peacock".