The long-tailed bush warbler also known as the Long-tailed grasshopper-warbler is a species of grass warbler. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found only in the Philippines on the islands of Mindanao and Luzon.
Region
Philippines (Luzon and Mindanao)
Typical Environment
Occupies dense undergrowth in montane and mossy forests, forest edges, and overgrown clearings with tall grass and bamboo. It favors steep slopes, ravines, and areas with thick ground cover where it can move unseen. Often near forest edges and secondary growth, it keeps low to the ground, slipping between clumps of vegetation. The species is patchily distributed but can be locally common where suitable cover persists.
Altitude Range
900–2800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A secretive skulk of dense grasses and bamboo, the Long-tailed Bush Warbler is far more often heard than seen. Its insect-like trills and buzzes carry at dawn and dusk, helping birders locate it in steep montane slopes. The species is endemic to the Philippines, occurring only on Luzon and Mindanao.
Illustration by J. G. Keulemans (1895)
A calling Long-tailed bushwarbler ssp. caudata
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over ground and cover
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, keeping to dense cover. Nests low in thick grass or bamboo, with a cup or dome-like structure well concealed. Both sexes are thought to contribute to parental care, and territories are defended primarily by song.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of insect-like trills and buzzy, reeling phrases delivered from deep cover or a low perch. Songs intensify at dawn and dusk, often the only clue to its presence.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with fine, often subtle streaking and a long, graduated tail frequently held cocked; underparts buffy to pale brown with slightly warmer flanks.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, caterpillars, moths, and spiders. It gleans from grass stems and leaves, probes leaf litter, and occasionally snaps at prey in short sallies. Diet varies with microhabitat and season but remains largely insectivorous.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense clumps of grass, bamboo thickets, and tangled understory along forest margins. Often works close to the ground or just above it, moving methodically through cover.
