The long-billed bush warbler is a rare species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in China, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. It is also known as the long-billed grasshopper warbler.
Region
Central Asia and the western Himalayas
Typical Environment
It occupies dense, damp grasses, sedges, and low scrub in alpine and subalpine meadows, riverine thickets, and lightly reed-fringed wetlands. Birds often keep to cover along stream edges and the bases of willow and birch shrubs. During the non-breeding season they move to slightly lower elevations with tall grass and shrubby tangles. The range spans disjunct pockets in Tajikistan and western China to northern Pakistan and northwestern India.
Altitude Range
500–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A secretive skulk of dense grass and scrub, the long-billed bush warbler is easier heard than seen. Its song is a prolonged, insect-like reeling typical of grasshopper warblers. Habitat loss and overgrazing of montane meadows are principal threats to the species.
Illustration by J. G. Keulemans (1891)
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and fluttering over vegetation
Social Behavior
Primarily solitary outside the breeding season, maintaining small territories in dense cover. During breeding, males sing persistently from concealed perches to advertise territory. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in thick grass or at the base of shrubs, with clutches typically of 3–5 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A prolonged, mechanical reeling trill reminiscent of an insect, often delivered from deep cover. Song may continue for long bouts at dawn and dusk, with brief pauses and occasional softer ticking calls.
Plumage
Upperparts are warm brown with darker streaking on the mantle and back; underparts are buffy to greyish with paler throat and faint mottling on the breast. Tail is long and slightly graduated with subtle dark barring. Feathers are soft and loosely textured, aiding a inconspicuous, grass-matching appearance.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small invertebrates including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders, and other arthropods. It gleans prey from stems and leaf litter and occasionally makes short sallies within the vegetation. Foraging is slow and deliberate, with frequent pauses to probe with its long bill.
Preferred Environment
Dense grasses, sedges, and shrubby margins near streams or wet meadows. Frequently forages close to the ground under cover, rarely venturing into open spaces.
