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Long-billed Bush Warbler Locustella major Scientific name definitions

Steve Madge
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

14 cm; c. 13 g. A medium-sized bush-warbler with relatively long tail and long bill. Nominate race is olive-brown above, with whitish lores, usually clear whitish supercilium extending from base of bill back over eye; clean whitish throat, below which a necklace of blackish spots (variable, sometimes only few spots), flanks warm buff to dingy whitish; undertail-coverts virtually plain warm buff, feather centres only a little darker than diffusely buffy-white fringes; iris dark brown; upper mandible blackish-brown, lower mandible more fleshy-brown; legs brownish-flesh. Differs from L. thoracica in distinctly larger size, relatively longer tail and longer bill, pale lores and longer supercilium, much plainer undertail-coverts. Sexes alike. Juvenile in fresh plumage has yellowish wash on supercilium and underparts, may show indistinct mottling on throat and have shorter bill than adult. Race innae is paler above and below than nominate, and virtually lacks spotting on chest.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Previously placed in Bradypterus. Suggested relationship with L. thoracica and L. davidi, based on presence of breast spotting, refuted by molecular data, which indicate present species is sister to L. naevia (1). Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Locustella major major Scientific name definitions

Locustella major major
L. m. major

Distribution

NW Himalaya in N Pakistan (Khagan Valley and Gilgit) and NW India (NE Kashmir, Ladakh, Zaskar); winter range unknown, presumably at lower altitudes in NW India and N Pakistan (2).
SUBSPECIES

Locustella major innae Scientific name definitions

Locustella major innae
L. m. innae +1

Distribution

W China (Kunlun Shan and W Altun Shan, in W and S Xinjiang); winter range unknown, presumably at lower altitudes (3).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

In breeding season, inhabits grassy slopes dotted with bushes amid weedy patches and rank grasses, upland terraced cultivation, and edges of alpine meadows and forest clearings; at 2400–3600 m. Non-breeding habitat unknown; said to winter in similar habitats down to 1200m.

Movement

Probably an altitudinal migrant, but winter quarters unknown; said to move to lower elevations in hills, down to 1200 m. Arrives surprisingly late at breeding sites; at Sonamarg (Kashmir), most arrive c. 8th Jun and settle down to breed by middle of month.

Diet and Foraging

No information on food items, other than insects. Generally solitary. As most of its congeners, keeps well hidden, feeding on or near ground in rank grasses, bracken (Pteridium) and scrubby thickets; runs at great speed if disturbed, slipping through grasses and other dense cover with ease in rodent-like manner. Flicks wings and tail when agitated. Very difficult to flush, and then flutters only a few metres before dropping back into cover.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song, from top of shrub or small tree, distinctive but extremely dull and monotonous, a peculiar mechanical clicking at rate of c. 3 per second, has been rendered as “klikit,klikit,klikit,klikit……”; sings without pause for long periods. Calls include grating “trr”.

Breeding

Season mid-Jun to late Jul. Nest a deep cup of dry grasses, placed on or close to ground in dense grass or herbage and always extremely well hidden, often tucked away in dense roots of small shrub. Clutch 3 or 4 eggs. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife NT Near Threatened
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Little information on current status, as its distribution is centred on politically sensitive areas; probably not uncommon in areas of suitable habitat. Over much of its range, considered rare or little known. Few recent records from N Pakistan; considered still fairly common in NW India, but extremely localized in Tibetan habitats from NE of Vale of Kashmir (at Sonamarg) E to Zaskar and Ladakh. Race innae said to be very rare in China; a record of this race from E Pamirs (in Tajikistan) perhaps involved only a vagrant. Presence of nominate race farther E in Himalayas debatable; references to its occurrence E in India to Uttaranchal Pradesh (Garhwal) require confirmation. It seems likely that this species’ habitat has been degraded by changes in agricultural practices, overgrazing (especially by goats) and the cutting of scrub for firewood. A thorough investigation into its current status is urgently required.
Distribution of the Long-billed Bush Warbler - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Long-billed Bush Warbler

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Madge, S. (2020). Long-billed Bush Warbler (Locustella major), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.lbbwar1.01
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