Locustellidae – Grassbirds & Allies
The Locustellidae are a newly recognised family of small insectivorous warblers & others, formerly placed in the Old-World warbler ‘wastebin’ family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus ‘bush warblers’. These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. The family name has sometimes been given as Megaluridae, but Locustellidae has priority.
A comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of this family (2018) has greatly revised their taxonomy. They have been many revisions, including the resurrection of the genera Poodytes and Cincloramphus and the creation of a new genus Helopsaltes.The species are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed; the scientific name of the genus Megalurus in fact means ‘the large-tailed one’ in plain English, which is one of the reasons why many species were removed away from that genus.
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Baikal Bush Warbler Locustella davidi |
Papuan Grassbird Cincloramphus macrurus |
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Both photos above courtesy of ©Dubi Shapiro |
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They are less wren-like than the typical shrub-warblers (Cettia) but like them, these tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over. They tend to be larger and slimmer than Cettia though, and many have bold dark streaks on wings and/or underside. Most live in scrubland and frequently hunt food by clambering through thick tangled growth or pursuing it on the ground; they are perhaps the most terrestrial of the warblers. Very unusual for Passeriformes, beginning evolution towards flightlessness is seen in some taxa.
The family contains many secretive and skulking species which are often referred to colloquially as LBJ’s – that is “little brown jobs”. They often inhabit sick of impenetrable vegetation or thick grasslands and reed beds, which also makes them rather difficult to see at times. Some may fly only when really alarmed and then tend to head for tangles and brambles and return to their skulking behaviour. Although some are reasonable songsters, many have less variable song, including short thrills or chirps and repeated insect like buzzing. These calls account for the genus name Locustella, which is from the Latin and a diminutive of locusta or grasshopper. Grasshopper like calls I found in the Common Grasshopper Warbler and others such as Savi’s Warbler.
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Marsh Grassbird Helopsaltes pryeri |
Tawny Grassbird Cincloramphus timoriensis |
| Both photos above courtesy of Nick Ludovioc Green Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA | |
Most have fine bills lightly proportion bodies, and long graduated tails. Much of the family are tan, brown or creamy colours with streaking, supercilium or head stripes, but otherwise lightly marked.
Most construct their tests of a deep cup or ball shape close to the ground in tangled vegetation and constructed mostly of grass stems, making them particularly difficult to spot. Quite a number of species are associated with waterside habitat of some kind although others are found in more open country or light bush.
New Caledonian Thicketbird Cincloramphus mariei – ©Dubi Shapiro
Among the warbler and babbler superfamily Sylvioidea, the Locustellidae are closest to the Malagasy warblers, another newly recognised family and the Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapillus).
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Number of bird species: 67
(As at December 2025)
According to the recently (2025) amalgamated AviList, there are sixty-seven species of grassbirds, warblers and thicketbirds etc., in ten genera in the family. They are:
Cordillera Ground Warbler Robsonius rabori
Sierra Madre Ground Warbler Robsonius thompsoni
Bicol Ground Warbler Robsonius sorsogonensis
Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler Helopsaltes fasciolata
Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler Helopsaltes amnicola
Marsh Grassbird Helopsaltes pryeri
Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler Helopsaltes pleskei
Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler Helopsaltes ochotensis
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler Helopsaltes certhiola
Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata
Bamboo Warbler Locustella alfredi
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Brown Bush Warbler Locustella luteoventris
Chinese Bush Warbler Locustella tacsanowskia
Long-billed Bush Warbler Locustella major
Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
Friendly Bush Warbler Locustella accentor
Long-tailed Bush Warbler Locustella caudata
Sulawesi Bush Warbler Locustella castanea
Seram Bush Warbler Locustella musculus
Buru Bush Warbler Locustella disturbans
Taliabu Bush Warbler Locustella portenta
Baikal Bush Warbler Locustella davidi
Spotted Bush Warbler Locustella thoracica
West Himalayan Bush Warbler Locustella kashmirensis
Taiwan Bush Warbler Locustella alishanensis
Benguet Bush Warbler Locustella seebohmi
Javan Bush Warbler Locustella montis
Sichuan Bush Warbler Locustella chengi
Dalat Bush Warbler Locustella idonea
Russet Bush Warbler Locustella mandelli
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler Elaphrornis palliseri
Bristled Grassbird Schoenicola striatus
Broad-tailed Grassbird Schoenicola platyurus
Fan-tailed Grassbird Catriscus brevirostris
Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
Knysna Warbler Bradypterus sylvaticus
Bangwa Forest Warbler Bradypterus bangwaensis
Barratt’s Warbler Bradypterus barratti
Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus lopezi
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus
Grey Emutail Bradypterus seebohmi
Brown Emutail Bradypterus brunneus
Dja River Scrub Warbler Bradypterus grandis
Little Rush Warbler Bradypterus baboecala
White-winged Swamp Warbler Bradypterus carpalis
Grauer’s Swamp Warbler Bradypterus graueri
Highland Rush Warbler Bradypterus centralis
Fly River Grassbird Poodytes albolimbatus
Spinifexbird Poodytes carteri
Little Grassbird Poodytes gramineus
New Zealand Fernbird Poodytes punctatus
Chatham Fernbird Poodytes rufescens
Malia Malia grata
Brown Songlark Cincloramphus cruralis
New Britain Thicketbird Cincloramphus grosvenori
Rusty Thicketbird Cincloramphus rubiginosus
Buff-banded Thicketbird Cincloramphus bivittatus
Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi
Tawny Grassbird Cincloramphus timoriensis
Papuan Grassbird Cincloramphus macrurus
Santo Thicketbird Cincloramphus whitneyi
Guadalcanal Thicketbird Cincloramphus turipavae
New Caledonian Thicketbird Cincloramphus mariei
Long-legged Thicketbird Cincloramphus rufus
Bougainville Thicketbird Cincloramphus llaneae
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Reed and Bush Warblers
| By Peter Kennerley & David Pearson | Christopher Helm | 2010 | Hardback | 712 pages, 48 colour plates, illustrations | ISBN: 9780713660227 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Locustellidae
Family AccountThis family's ranks contain many secretive, brown birds of shrubs, thickets, and marshes. -
Locustellidae
Family AccountLocustellidae is a recently recognised family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family.
Given the number of species in this family, Fatbirder does not provide quick links to all of them. However, the entries below do include links to representatives of every genera, all those illustrated and some of the most often encountered, iconic or sought-after species.
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Baikal Bush Warbler Locustella davidi
Species AccountThe Baikal bush warbler (Locustella davidi), also known as Baikal grasshopper-warbler or David's bush warbler, is a migratory species... -
Baikal Bush Warbler Locustella davidi
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Bristled Grassbird Schoenicola striatus
Species AccountThe bristled grassbird (Schoenicola striatus) is a small passerine bird in the genus Schoenicola -
Bristled Grassbird Schoenicola striatus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
Species AccountThe common grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia) is a species of Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and western Asia. -
Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Fan-tailed Grassbird Catriscus brevirostris
Species AccountThe fan-tailed grassbird or broad-tailed warbler (Catriscus brevirostris) is an African species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. -
Fan-tailed Grassbird Catriscus brevirostris
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Knysna Warbler Bradypterus sylvaticus
Species AccountA skulky, dark olive-brown warbler with a graduated tail and plain dark underparts (sometimes with fine streaking). -
Knysna Warbler Bradypterus sylvaticus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata
Species AccountThe lanceolated warbler (Locustella lanceolata) is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds from northeast European Russia across northern Asia to northern Hokkaidō, Japan. -
Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Malia Malia grata
Species AccountAn Indonesian endemic, the malia is restricted to montane forests of Sulawesi. Usually, it is found in pairs or small groups of three to seven birds. -
Malia Malia grata
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Marsh Grassbird Helopsaltes pryeri
Species AccountThe marsh grassbird (Helopsaltes pryeri), also known as the Japanese swamp warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. -
Marsh Grassbird Helopsaltes pryeri
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
New Caledonian Thicketbird Cincloramphus mariei
Species AccountThis is a long-tailed, medium-sized warbler with a distinctive bold white supercilium. -
New Caledonian Thicketbird Cincloramphus mariei
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
New Zealand Fernbird Poodytes punctatus
Species AccountThe New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird (Poodytes punctatus) is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. -
New Zealand Fernbird Poodytes punctatus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Papuan Grassbird Cincloramphus macrurus
Species AccountA medium-sized bird of grasslands. Long, pointed tail, upperparts with bold, black streaks, pale gray underparts and a whitish throat. -
Papuan Grassbird Cincloramphus macrurus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Species AccountThe river warbler (Locustella fluviatilis) is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in east and central Europe into western Asia. -
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Species AccountThe Savi's warbler (Locustella luscinioides) is a species of Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in southern Europe and temperate western Asia. -
Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler Elaphrornis palliseri
Species AccountSmall, nondescript, earthy-brown colored bird, with a graduated tail. Note particularly rich, buffy throat, short, indistinct grey eyebrow, and pale iris. -
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler Elaphrornis palliseri
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
Species AccountStreaky brown bird of fields, scrubby edge, and dense thickets. -
Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Tawny Grassbird Cinclorampus timoriensis
Species AccountThe tawny grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis) is a songbird species of the grass- and bush-warbler family (Locustellidae) -
Tawny Grassbird Cinclorampus timoriensis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map